Angela Rayner has declared she has 'not gone away' and declined to rule out running for Labour leader in the future, as she condemned the 'arrogant tittle-tattle' that has dominated Westminster in recent days. In her first major interview since resigning as deputy prime minister and housing secretary, Rayner told the Daily Mirror she was focused on her constituency work but left the door open to a return to frontline politics.
Allies of Rayner said she was significantly shaken by the impact of her resignation on her family, which would be a key factor in any decision to run for leader. They dismissed suggestions she was plotting an imminent challenge to Keir Starmer, insisting she would only run if Starmer himself decided to step down. 'The idea she’d want to be in the heart of the storm again right now is for the birds,' one source said. 'But if things kick off again after the May elections, then who knows.'
Rayner criticised the briefing against Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who has been accused by some Starmer allies of plotting against the prime minister. She said the Westminster tittle-tattle looked 'arrogant' when set against the real challenges facing ordinary people. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood also called the week of leadership speculation 'mortifying' and urged the party to focus on governing.
Rayner has joined the Tribune group of soft-left Labour MPs, run by former Cabinet minister Louise Haigh, which hopes to grow in influence. A source close to Rayner said she left government with a clearer view of how to implement Labour values and would be keen to return to do more. MPs have long suggested Rayner and Streeting could do a deal over the leadership, though there is no agreement on who would take the top job.
