Rayner is throwing her lot in behind Andy Burnham under the promise that she will be rewarded handsomely for stepping aside. Guido hears those in her inner circle are lobbying for Foreign Secretary. A great office of state which obviously provides lots of glitzy foreign travel…
It would be a real-world promotion from her previous role as Housing Secretary. She may also regain the nonsense ‘Deputy Prime Minister’ title if she wants it, which would allow her to once again deputise at PMQs when required. A role she relished, even if the country didn’t…
Of course, this all depends on whether Streeting makes his move. If he chickens out and Burnham becomes more credible, Rayner will likely step back. But if Streeting pulls the trigger soon, that may change…
Applause in the room from the trade unionists. Tanks on lawn…
The state of play currently:
Starmer has trailed his speech in the Observer by claiming he will be PM for ten years. This has gone down like a cup of cold sick with the PLP. All to play for…
Angela Rayner has deleted a campaign video from a school after concerns were raised about impartiality requirements. Took long enough…
The former Deputy PM lectured a child in uniform who said that Farage was better than Starmer by repeating Labour attack lines on Farage’s previous statements on the NHS. At the end of which she implied her son would not be alive under a Reform-run health service – chilling…
The video was filmed at Audenshaw School, Tameside. Concerns were raised online that the video could breach impartiality requirements, for example Part V of the Education Act 1996 which states that the local authority, governing body and headteacher must take reasonably practicable steps to ensure that where political issues are brought to the attention of pupils, they are offered a balanced presentation of opposing views. That duty also applies while pupils are at school or taking part in school-organised extra-curricular activities. Rayner has deleted the egregious video…
The third in Guido’s horror series. Read the previous entries by clicking here…
Today it’s Rayner’s turn. This one is particularly easy to pull together, given Rayner herself sent a wish list of tax hikes to Rachel Reeves last year. Which very quickly appeared in the media…
If this looks disastrous, don’t worry. There’s always Miliband…
Housing Secretary Steve Reed on Sky News this morning, asked if Angela Rayner should return to the Cabinet:
“I think in time. I think she did a great job, I’m a big fan and friend of Angela Rayner. She’s really good at communicating, can cut through to voters, she has a role to play.”
The Times reported last night that Labour MPs are plotting a Brownite-style ‘putsch’ after Thursdays local elections, with demands for Starmer to set a date for his resignation. Rayner’s allies insist she has the 81 MPs needed to launch a challenge. But no one wants to make the first move, yet…
Andy Haldane, Burnham’s recent adviser on the economy who has not taken up a No10 job, told Andrew Marr on LBC:
“The market now suspects that this is a traditional tax-and-spend socialist government with better TikTok videos…
imposing windfall taxes on oil & gas or on banks or upping capital gains tax would […] repeat the mistake that Rachel made […] The Achilles heel, the fiscal Achilles heel of this government thus far has been its unwillingness and/or inability to cut public spending.”