Labour’s Angela Rayner is said to have been ‘absolutely obliterated’ during a late-night visit to a bar in the Houses of Parliament, with a source claiming she was ‘not holding back’ during a heated debate with fellow MPs
Westminster was reportedly shaken this week by a late-night party that left spectators gobsmacked and a sturdy door in need of mending. Angela Rayner, the former Deputy Prime Minister and a leading candidate to replace Sir Keir Starmer, allegedly found herself at the heart of a tumultuous scene in the House of Commons’ Strangers’ Bar.
Eyewitnesses have recounted an evening that started with heated political discussion and concluded with a literal bang. The incident occurred just days ahead of May’s local elections. The ex-deputy to Keir Starmer is widely seen as one of the frontrunners should there be any future change in the party’s leadership.
Witnesses informed the Daily Mail that Angela Rayner crashed into a door with a loud thud, with the force of the collision reportedly leaving her temporarily “bent over”, reports the Express.
The next day, the entrance door was reportedly taken away for repairs, although parliamentary sources maintained that the maintenance work was not related to the incident. A privacy screen has now also been fitted at the bar’s entrance, according to the Daily Mail.
According to reports, the evening began with Ms Rayner involved in a fierce argument. One witness observed that she was “not holding back,” supposedly yelling, “I’m a socialist!” at her discussion partner. One source present described her as being “absolutely obliterated”, while another claimed she was “trollied”.
A further witness told the Daily Mail: “Given she’s basically weeks away from being PM, I don’t think it’s up to scratch.” However, one ally said they spoke to Ms Rayner between votes there and maintained she “seemed perfectly fine”.
The reports contribute to a broader and increasingly fierce debate about Westminster’s drinking culture. Hannah Spencer recently expressed concern after entering Parliament, saying she was surprised by how “you can smell the alcohol” on MPs between votes and describing the atmosphere as “unprofessional.”
A source from the House of Commons informed the newspaper they “do not recognise” allegations that Ms Rayner was responsible for the bar’s door damage, and that Parliament’s maintenance team is carrying out a full repair after ensuring the area is safe.
A spokesperson for Angela Rayner stated: “This is a concoction of mischief-making. Angela had a glass of wine in Strangers Bar with her friends, and the notion she broke a door is total rubbish.”
Reach PLC has reached out to Ms Rayner’s office for comment.
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