Angela Rayner lastly quits vaping after being seen utilizing one on dinghy
The ex-deputy PM had been desperate to quit the habit after her kids called her the “vape dragon”
(Image: JEREMY SELWYN)
Angela “the vape dragon” Rayner has finally kicked the habit. The former deputy prime minister quit vaping nine months after she was snapped using one on a dinghy near Brighton beach.
She previously admitted wanting to give up vaping, saying it was “incredibly addictive” and that her children had called her the “vape dragon”.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed revealed Ms Rayner’s decision after dining with her on Saturday. He told Sky News: “We chatted about normal human being things, we didn’t just talk about politics.”
“She’s given up vaping, so we talked about issues like that.”
He claimed they did not discuss her potential leadership ambitions, saying he wanted to see Ms Rayner return to Cabinet.
Ms Rayner had taken up vaping to help her quit smoking and had intended to quit before the Government banned disposable vapes in June last year.
Her decision to quit may be viewed as an attempt to appear more prime-ministerial.
She is widely seen as a potential leadership contender alongside Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.
Ms Rayner will reportedly weigh up whether to mount a challenge in the 72 hours after polls close in on Thursday’s local elections.
But she is also considering an offer from Sir Keir Starmer to return to the Cabinet as the PM extended an olive branch to his former deputy.
