Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has described the Makerfield by-election as a 'line in the sand' moment, warning that Labour is running out of time to regain public trust. In a wide-ranging interview, she heaped praise on Andy Burnham's campaign, saying the party must show it stands with ordinary people.
Rayner: Labour Must Listen to Voters
Ms Rayner, the Ashton-under-Lyne MP, said Labour needs to demonstrate it is on the side of ordinary people. She agreed with Mr Burnham that voters feel politics is not working for them. Labour is bracing for the results of a highly consequential by-election, with Mr Burnham expected to challenge Keir Starmer for the party leadership if he wins. The Prime Minister has made clear he will fight any challenger, setting the stage for a bitter internal battle.
In an interview with The Mirror, Ms Rayner sidestepped questions on whether she would back Mr Burnham but welcomed his potential return to Parliament, saying Labour needs its 'best players around'. Asked if it is too late for change under Mr Starmer, she said: 'I don't think it's too late for the Labour Party to deliver that. I know I'm not answering your question direct. I think it's hard to escape the feeling the public have had towards Keir. But there is an opportunity for us to say we're listening. People need to see that the Labour Party are listening and that they're on their side.'
Burnham's Campaign Sparks Wider Conversation
Ms Rayner said Mr Burnham is focused on winning the by-election but has sparked a broader conversation. 'What's going on in Ashton-in-Makerfield is going on in Ashton-under-Lyne, the Midlands, across the country. The challenges are the same. This is about making sure the Labour Party can work together to deliver the change people want. I'm up for playing my role in that.' She backed his vision on de-industrialisation, devolution, and fixing the cost of living, areas she said Mr Starmer's government has also worked on. She said Mr Burnham is winning over voters with a 'new type of politics' focused on hope and a path to change Britain.
Asked if the government has failed, she said: 'The government has made mistakes and is deeply unpopular. We have to acknowledge that. People didn't feel we were delivering change quickly enough. Mistakes on winter fuel, on standing up for the rights of Palestinians – these were values issues. People felt, 'you're not standing up for your values'. That was more crushing than anything else.'
Last Chance for Labour?
She described the by-election as a critical choice between hope and division, saying it could be Labour's last chance. 'I think it is a line in the sand moment. Everybody in the Labour Party understands the challenge. We have a limited time to deliver change, and people are impatient because they're struggling. It's not unreasonable for voters to say, 'You said change, you said you'd improve my life. My life's getting harder.' They want to see we stick to our values.'
Labour's top priority must be delivering the change the public wants, she said. 'For me, it's much bigger than who the leader is. You don't have to fix everything immediately. Working-class people understand you can't have everything. They want realism. They want to see our values and change married up.'
Rayner's Own Struggles with Trust
Ms Rayner dramatically resigned from government last year after the PM's ethics chief found she had broken rules by underpaying stamp duty on her seaside flat. An HMRC investigation cleared her last month, allowing her to settle the tax bill. She acknowledged she needs to earn back voters' trust. 'I always tried to do the right thing. The biggest challenge was people feeling I was a hypocrite, that I was in it for myself. That's never been the case.' Looking ahead, she sees her role as 'keeping us on track', whatever position she holds. 'I focus on what I can do to make things better – pushing on the Employment Rights Act, making work pay, delivering our manifesto. I'm impatient for change.'
Criticism of Immigration Reforms
Ms Rayner has been outspoken against Labour's immigration reforms, particularly plans to extend the wait for carers to get indefinite leave to remain from five to 15 years. Speaking ahead of an address to Unison's conference, she said: 'We shouldn't take retrospective action on carers we asked to come here. I reject that they're low skilled. Care workers are not low skilled. The complex care needs and the NHS crisis exist because we don't have care workers.' She added: 'In Britain you play by the rules. If you rip up the rules halfway through, that's not how we are.'
