Labour MPs split on Angela Rayner's future amid leadership speculation

Left-wing Labour MPs are divided connected whether they would invited an Angela Rayner enactment bid, arsenic speculation continues implicit whether Sir Keir Starmer tin survive.

Senior MPs connected the near person told Sky News that the erstwhile lawman premier curate "only needs to propulsion the button" and she would person the enactment to instrumentality retired her aged boss.

But others said it "won't lavation with the public", fixed it was lone a fewer months agone that she resigned successful ungraded implicit her taxation affairs. She has besides been accused of not doing capable for the near portion she was successful government.

Sir Keir has insisted helium would look down immoderate menace to his leadership, portion Ms Rayner's allies accidental she has nary program to oust him.

But galore MPs person said privately - if not publically - that a situation to his presumption appears progressively inevitable fixed the authorities of the polls.

One MP successful the socialist run radical (SCG) said "all Angela needs to bash is propulsion the button" and MPs would get down her - citing her popularity with the Labour membership.

Another MP said: "I deliberation she would person a steadfast fig of radical who would backmost her."

Ms Rayner, a erstwhile commercialized national rep, was elected by members to beryllium lawman Labour person successful 2020. She was a longstanding subordinate of Jeremy Corbyn's shadiness furniture and is revered by galore of her colleagues on the near for her emergence from a working-class inheritance to the apical of British politics, having near schoolhouse astatine 16, pregnant, and with nary qualifications.

However 1 MP said portion they personally "rate her a lot" she "could person done more" for the near portion successful government.

"Ange was the lawman person for a agelong time. I person to accidental she went to crushed for a agelong clip and didn't talk up. Whether she has the enactment of MPs oregon the state I don't know."

This presumption was echoed by different colleague, who said she is "complicit" successful the government's failures.

This MP, successful a accepted reddish partition seat, said the "visceral dislike of Starmer is baked in" and they person ne'er experienced thing similar the anti-Labour sentiment they are proceeding connected the doorstep.

They said immoderate alteration of person would person to beryllium an outsider with a extremist imaginativeness "like 1945". "It would person to beryllium Andy", they said, referring to the Greater Manchester metro politician Andy Burnham.

'Burnham is simply a no-brainer'

Many MPs connected some the near and the alleged "soft-left" told Sky News helium would beryllium their preferred candidate, fixed helium is not associated with the existent government, helium has a antithetic imaginativeness for the state and is fashionable with the public.

Mr Burnham is not presently an MP but helium has not ruled retired lasting if a spot became available.

"In a hypothetical beingness wherever each the barriers are flooded past Burnham is simply a no-brainer," said 1 MP from the 2024 intake.

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Another MP supportive of a Burnham takeover said a Rayner instrumentality "won't lavation with the public" fixed she had to resign from the 2nd astir elder presumption successful authorities for underpaying stamp work successful September. They said it besides wouldn't beryllium credible for her to "suddenly" commencement criticising the absorption of the Starmer authorities fixed she was truthful intimately tied to it.

As different MP enactment it: "I'd beryllium backing a campaigner from the near of the party. Angela Rayner is not from the near of the party."

Other runners and riders

Any challenger would request the nationalist backing of 80 colleagues to trigger a enactment contest. May is seen arsenic crunch day if the section elections spell arsenic severely arsenic predicted.

Other names that person travel up see Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Mr Streeting is seen arsenic a charismatic communicator who could instrumentality connected Nigel Farage and Zack Polanski, portion MPs wrong the "blue Labour" caucus are impressed with Ms Mahmood's hard enactment connected immigration.

But MPs connected the near consciousness this would lone connection a impermanent boost successful the polls arsenic the brace are some seen arsenic being connected the centre-right, and a alteration of person would beryllium pointless without a alteration of direction.

Another sanction that has travel up is the erstwhile Labour person Ed Miliband, but portion helium is much to the near helium has been rejected by the nationalist erstwhile - having mislaid the 2015 election.

'No progressive plot'

The MPs who spoke to Sky News stressed determination was nary progressive plot, but alternatively a wide statement that it is looking progressively apt Sir Keir won't beryllium capable to crook things around.

MPs who disagree with the premier minister's authorities said they are amazed astatine however personally disliked helium is connected the doorstep arsenic helium is yet a "nice man".

They fearfulness helium has mislaid the spot of the nationalist by saying 1 happening and doing another, with the winter substance fiasco inactive coming up successful areas wherever Reform UK is making gains.

As 1 MP enactment it: "We privation him [Sir Keir] to bash good and bash better… but you can't spell connected everlastingly if things look unspeakable successful the sentiment polls."

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'Budget has sparked a sea-change'

MPs person precocious revived the soft-left tribune radical with the purpose of influencing the authorities to instrumentality much of a progressive direction.

Ms Rayner addressed this radical connected Tuesday night, on with caller lawman person Lucy Powell and furniture ministers Mr Miliband and Lisa Nandy.

One MP who spoke to Ms Rayner said she has "absolutely nary plans" to motorboat a enactment bid "unless she is keeping it quiet". They added that the taxable of a enactment situation didn't travel up successful immoderate of the speeches and determination was an "upbeat atmosphere" pursuing the lifting of the two-child payment cap.

"The fund has landed good with the party," they said. "[The meeting] felt similar a oversea change."

As lawman premier curate and lodging secretary, Ms Rayner introduced the Employment Rights Bill wrong 100 days and pushed done reforms to renters rights, the leasehold strategy and further devolution. She is besides said to person played a important relation successful persuading Sir Keir to h2o down payment cuts successful the look of a large backbench rebellion.

A root adjacent to her defended her record, saying she is "not funny successful pacts and plots" and wants the authorities to succeed. They said she is not finished successful authorities but "she's nary one's pawn, she's her ain person".

Ms Rayner resigned aft an morals probe recovered she acted successful bully faith, but broke the ministerial codification by failing to get the close taxation proposal aft purchasing a level successful Brighton. She referred herself to HMRC and an probe is ongoing.

Sir Keir has said helium wants her backmost successful cabinet, a presumption echoed by galore elder colleagues.