Angela Rayner has condemned the 'arrogant tittle-tattle' that has dominated Labour politics in recent days, as she declined to rule out a future leadership bid. In her first major interview since resigning as deputy prime minister, Rayner said she had 'not gone away' and would be likely to run in a future contest if circumstances allowed.
Allies of the former housing secretary said she was significantly shaken by the impact of her resignation on her family, which would be the key factor in any decision to run. They dismissed suggestions of an imminent challenge to Sir Keir Starmer, insisting she would only stand if the prime minister chose to resign.
Rayner criticised the briefing against Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who has been accused by some Starmer allies of plotting to challenge the prime minister. She told the Daily Mirror: 'That tittle-tattle in Westminster, it almost looks arrogant when you’ve got real challenges that real people are facing.'
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood also called the week of leadership speculation 'mortifying' and urged the party to focus on governing. Speaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she said: 'It is an incredible privilege to be the government of this country. We have precious time. We must not waste a single second of it.'
Mahmood added that it was unlikely anyone would be identified as directly responsible for the briefing against Streeting, but hoped those responsible would feel 'abject humiliation' and not repeat the behaviour. The prime minister has dealt with the matter, she said, and the party must now draw a line under the speculation.
