Angela Rayner’s crack team of Trident hating, Brexit bashing Corbynista SpAds will continue guiding her through the rough and tumble of Westminster life in MHCLG. Here are some of their more interesting views…
Alex Jones remains Rayner’s Senior Adviser. He was Head of Communications at GMB from 2015 to 2021. During his stint the GMB was found to be “institutionally sexist” in an independent report. The 17-member strong ‘Taskforce for Positive Change‘ formed by the senior team failed abjectly and GMB members went on strike this year over the scandal. Jones served as Head of External Affairs at the cranky socialist New Economics Foundation which came up with inspired suggestions such as: “it is always possible to find additional public resources for public services, even without growth: raise taxes, close tax loopholes, cut spending on nuclear warheads.” New minister Miatta Fahnbulleh headed up the NEF and is also advising Rayner…
Before GMB, Jones was Press and Public Affairs Manager at the National Union of Students when it organised the window-smashing “Tory scum” riots in London. Must have caught Rayner’s eye…
The team’s union links are deep. Former Head of Operations for Unite, Nick Parrott, is Rayner’s Chief of Staff. His wife Lisa Johnson was formerly the Director of External Relations at GMB.
Kate Robson continues as Rayner’s Political Adviser, a role she’s held since February 2022. Robson has shared posts supporting Corbyn, bashing meat eaters, fighting Brexit, and one calling for the UK to “go straight to the heart of capitalism and overthrow it.” How goes the revolution Kate…
Isabel Bull completes the team as Political and Policy Manager. One of Bull’s stronger political convictions is for unilateral nuclear disarmament. Bull lambasted the renewal of Trident, stating: “I think this was not just resolutely awful, but also an unequivocally naïve decision.” No doubt she bonded with her anti-nuclear boss…
SpAds often temper their minister’s more barmy ideas – it looks like there’s no risk of that here…
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”
