A Corbynista Labour MP was cheered last night as she demanded a general strike to ‘topple’ the government.
Laura Smith urged the mass industrial action if the party could not win power by forcing a general election.
The extraordinary call to break the law – as she addressed ‘comrades’ at a fringe meeting in Liverpool during the Labour conference – sparked a standing ovation from an audience including shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon.
But other senior figures rushed to distance themselves from the demand today, saying that Ms Smith had got ‘carried away’.
Laura Smith (centre) was applauded by an audience including shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon (right) as she urged mass industrial action if the party could not win power by forcing a general election
Mr Burgon joined other activists in giving Ms Smith a standing ovation after her call for a general strike to topple the government
Mother-of-two Ms Smith (pictured) was the surprise winner in Crewe and Nantwich at the election last year, ousting former minister Edward Timpson by just 48 votes
The last general strike happened in 1926, and saw up to two million workers across the country down tools for nine days to prevent wage cuts.
However, many on the Left point out that the action nearly a century ago failed to achieve its aims and caused widespread suffering.
In 1927 the Tory government passed the Trades Disputes Act, which outlawed sympathy strikes and mass picketing.
The act was repealed under Labour in 1946, but in the 1980s the Thatcher government reintroduced the ban.
Crewe and Nantwich MP Ms Smith was a shadow minister but resigned during the summer over Brexit policy.
Speaking at the Momentum-run World Transformed festival, which runs parallel to Labour’s annual party conference, Ms Smith said: ‘Comrades, we must topple this cruel and callous Tory government as soon as we can.
‘And if we can’t get a general election we should organise our brothers in the trade unions to bring an end to this government with a general strike.’
Mother-of-two Ms Smith was the surprise winner in Crewe and Nantwich at the election last year, ousting former minister Edward Timpson by just 48 votes.
,The 33-year-old former teacher is a strong supporter of Mr Corbyn, but quit the front bench in June to vote against joining the EEA – saying she was determined to accept the verdict of the referendum.
Mr Corbyn had whipped his MPs to abstain in the Commons vote but ended up with the party splitting three ways.
Lef-wingers such as John McDonnell previously called for ‘direct action’ against Tories over austerity measures.
But shadow susiness secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey condemned the call for a general strike, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘That’s not our position…
‘We’re certainly not advocating general strikes as Labour party policy.’
Deputy leader Tom Watson added: ‘It’s not particularly helpful but she is a new MP and she was at a big fringe event – nothing to do with the party organisation. I’m sure she got a little bit carried away with herself.
‘If you actually look at the history of the general strike most trade unions will tell you it was an absolute failure for the working class.’
The last general strike happened in 1926, and saw around two million workers across the country down tools for nine days to prevent wage cuts. Pictured is a strike march in Liverpool