Former Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, has told Labour MPs she’s ready to run for party leader despite her former tax scandal forcing her to resign in the past
Angela Rayner has told Labour MPs she’s ready to launch a leadership campaign despite still being under investigation over her tax affairs.
The development comes after more than 80 Labour MPs have urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure from the position, following Labour’s catastrophic battering in the recent local elections. Rayner is now thought to be ready to make a leadership bid, despite throwing her support behind Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Wes Streeting is also expected to figure in any leadership race.
One Labour source told the Daily Mail: “Angie was struggling for support, but she will be a big beneficiary if things move quickly.” The source added: “Publicly, she is making very loud representations that Andy should be allowed back. But she is also texting everyone saying she is ready to go.
“If Andy does get back, she would probably have to row in behind him. But there is a scenario where he can’t get back in time and then, as she sees it, the hand of history falls on her shoulder.”
However another Labour Party source has questioned the potential appointment of Rayner due to her previously resigning from the post of Deputy Prime Minister after she was hit with a scandal over tax affairs. The source said: “Do people really want to replace one scandal-hit leader with another?”
Labour MP’s support of Starmer has continued to buckle as other senior Labour minister such as Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips, Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones and Health Minister Zubir Ahmed all resigned earlier today.
Andy Burnham – hotly tipped to mount a leadership challenge – travelled to London during a day of drama in Downing Street. Despite the calls for Starmer to step down, loyalists of the PM have claimed he has their “full support”. Chief Secretary to the Treasury James Murray has said: “Keir’s got my full support and he’s getting on with the job. We’re all behind him.”
Disgruntled Labour MPs would require 20% of the party’s parliamentarians to back a replacement candidate. There are 403 Labour MPs, so the support of 81 would be needed.
Once a Labour leadership election is triggered, other candidates could join the contest if they also have 81 backers. Sir Keir would be automatically on the ballot paper if he chose to contest the leadership election as the sitting leader and would continue as PM.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here .