The mischievous former deputy leader has an authenticity and charm that would appeal to the electorate – unlike the uncharismatic energy secretary, says Simon Walters.
Labour Left's Dilemma
Having ganged up to demand Sir Keir Starmer's removal from office, you might think Labour MPs were celebrating at the news that Wes Streeting is set to attempt to do just that. Instead, many of those on the Labour left who led the calls for Starmer's head found they had something else to worry about. They had been warned to be careful what they wished for in plotting against Starmer. Now their wish had come true, but was in danger of backfiring. They think Starmer is a liability as prime minister – but they think health secretary Streeting would be even worse. They see Streeting as a right-wing 'Poundshop Tony Blair', further soiled – in their view – by his close association with Blair's former cabinet ally and crony, disgraced former UK envoy to Washington Peter Mandelson.
The Search for a 'Stop Wes' Candidate
Which is why the Labour left has launched a frantic search for a 'Stop Wes' candidate. The obvious choice is Andy Burnham, with his cool, dress-down man of the people image and success as Mayor of Manchester. But Burnham cannot stand because he is not an MP, having been ruthlessly blocked from standing in a parliamentary by-election by Starmer earlier this year. Which leaves two left-wing alternatives to keep Streeting out of No 10: former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner or energy secretary Ed Miliband.
Ed Miliband: The Intellectual's Choice
Oxford-educated intellectual's son Miliband is currently tipped as the Left's 'Stop Wes' flag carrier. It appears to be based largely on the view that he is a more sophisticated politician and better suited to the demands of holding high office. His cheerleaders may not say it out loud, but what they really mean is that Rayner lacks the intelligence and political pedigree to be prime minister. She left Stockport College aged 16 whilst pregnant with not a single O-level and became a union official before entering politics. Then there is the small matter of continuing questions about her alleged tax dodging.
Angela Rayner: The Authentic Alternative
Before addressing the Rayner versus Miliband debate, let me say this: in my view, if Labour is serious about winning the next election it should pick Streeting, mainly for his ability to win over the mainstream voters the party needs to have even the faintest hope of retaining power. Having said that, if the left is serious about finding a 'Stop Wes' candidate, I believe it should line up behind Rayner, not Miliband. For all his decency, the biggest complaint from voters about Starmer is that he is so dull they just don't listen when he speaks. He lacks 'cut through', in political jargon. No one can accuse Rayner of being dull. I have met her more than once, and while our political opinions may not match, there is never a dull moment in her company.
Rayner's Appeal to Working Class Voters
Her untutored vowels may grate with the chattering classes. But with the working class voters Labour desperately needs to win back, gawky Rayner has a 'cut through' that geeky Miliband can only dream of. Not do I think, as some claim, that her supposed lack of number-crunching skills in comparison to self-proclaimed Rubik's cube wizard Miliband necessarily means she would risk a repeat of Liz Truss's economic disaster. Having had several dealings with Truss and her eccentric persona, for all her likability, when she became prime minister I had a horrible feeling she might do something not just reckless, but seriously dangerous. She duly did.
Rayner's Grounded Judgment
Rayner's policies may give the money markets a fright. But if she was advised any particular proposal would send the economy over the cliff, unlike Truss, I do not believe she would plough on regardless. In that regard, cerebral Miliband has more in common with overconfident Truss than Rayner. Rayner is more grounded. Being prime minister is not just about leadership: it is about common sense, judgment and seeking counsel. Tory prime minister John Major had a humble educational CV similar to Rayner's, but despite losing the 1997 election has a reputation other, better known recent occupants of the office can only envy.
Miliband's Charisma Deficit
In contrast to Rayner, there is an otherworldly intellectual arrogance about Miliband, who has already served as Labour leader, losing the 2015 election to David Cameron, that fills me with mistrust. Moreover, he suffers from what one might call 'amsirahc' – charisma spelled backwards. His lack of the common touch was laid bare by the excruciating and unforgettable photograph of him attempting to eat a bacon sandwich on the campaign trail. It looked as though he was entering a gurning competition. His matching lack of political nous was exposed by the ludicrous 'Ed Stone' – a 9ft-tall limestone plinth he commissioned listing his doomed 2015 election pledges. My Independent colleague John Rentoul described it memorably at the time as the 'most absurd, ugly, embarrassing, childish, silly, patronising, idiotic, insane, ridiculous gimmick I have ever seen'.
The Shadow of Scandal
It is only fair to say that for all his political clumsiness Miliband, unlike Rayner, does not have the shadow of a personal scandal hanging over him. She may face more trouble depending on the outcome of the HMRC inquiry into claims she avoided stamp duty on her home in Brighton. But her supporters argue the sums involved are tiny compared to Nigel Farage secretly accepting a £5 million personal gift from a foreign-based crypto billionaire. Judging from the success of Reform in last week's local elections, it doesn't seem to have done Farage any great harm with his supporters in today's personality driven political world.
Authenticity in Modern Politics
Farage won a new army of fans when he appeared on I'm A Celebrity. The plain talking and mischievous 'ladette' Rayner could win it were she ever to take part. Farage's supporters are prepared to accept him, faults and all, because rightly or wrongly they think he has a unique authenticity and appeal. Given a choice between Rayner and Miliband as a 'Stop Wes' candidate, the Labour Left would be better off plumping for Rayner, faults and all.
