On Friday evening Labour eventually announced Keir Starmer’s new shadow cabinet in full, including all the junior positions. Guido was interested to observe just one of Sir Keir’s ‘big beasts’ publicly announce their spokespeople: Angela Rayner. Not only did she tweet three announcement posts, she deliberately called the appointments “my Shadow Cabinet team”. Obviously underlining her new close allies after Sir Keir’s bungled sacking…

• Her new PPS – Florence Eshalomi: 2019 intake for Vauxhall. Previously a Progress official who backed Liz Kendall in 2015. Resigned as a whip in December 2020 after abstaining against the EU Future Relationship. Switched factions and backed Dawn Butler in 2020.
• Shadow Employment Rights and protections – Andy McDonald: To support Rayner’s new role as “Shadow Secretary of State for the future of work”. Reportedly Starmer wanted to sack him from the shadow cabinet however Rayner personally fought to save him. Described as the “last Corbynite standing”. Backed Burgon in 2020.
• Shadow employment minister – Imran Hussain: A solid left-winger, backing Corbyn from the start in 2015 and Long-Bailey in 2020. Backed Burgon in 2020.
• Shadow minister for democracy – Cat Smith: A member of the Socialist Campaign Group from her first day in 2015, and an original backer of Corbyn. A former chair of the APPG on Cuba. Backed Rayner in 2020.
• Shadow paymaster general – Jack Dromey: Her team’s token anti-Corbynite, backing Owen Smith in 2016’s failed coup. Backed Rayner in 2020.
• Shadow parliamentary secretary – Fleur Anderson: MP for Putney – the only seat Labour gained in 2019. Vehemently pro-remain and anti-Brexit. Backed Allin-Khan in 2020. 

Rayner has assembled a team of mostly hard-core socialists plus an old school grey hair (Dromey) and a new intake moderate (Eshalomi) – handy to have a team that reaches across the PLP if Starmer falls under a bus driven by John McDonnell. Could end up being quite a useful group if Rayner can enthuse them…

Putting the reshuffle behind her, Angela Rayner was back to work today, in her capacity as Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work. Joining with the TUC, she and Labour are calling for workers to take back control and put an end to the practice of ‘fire and rehire’. Guido’s confused – fire and re-hire has worked out pretty well for Rayner jobs-wise…