Labour’s internal tensions have burst into the open after Angela Rayner made an early move signalling her intention to replace Keir Starmer as prime minister.
In a low-key appearance at a Whitehall pub, attended by fewer than a dozen Labour MPs, the former deputy prime minister addressed the soft-left group Mainstream, warning that the government was “running out of time” to deliver on its promises.
“It needs to be felt, and we have to show that it’s a Labour government that will deliver it,” Rayner said, before criticising the government’s direction on immigration policy.
She also took aim at proposals led by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to extend the time migrants must wait for permanent residency, describing the move as “un-British”.
“That would not just be bad policy, but a breach of trust,” Rayner said. “The people already in the system who made a huge investment now fear for their future. We cannot talk about earning a settlement if we keep moving the goalposts because moving the goalposts undermines a sense of fair play.”
Labour Leadership Contest Heats Up Ahead Of May Elections
Sources close to Rayner suggest that an HMRC investigation into her tax affairs—seen as a major obstacle to any leadership bid—will be resolved before the UK-wide elections on May 7.
The timing coincides with growing speculation that Starmer could face a leadership challenge if Labour performs poorly across Scotland, Wales and England.
Labour MP Karl Turner told HuffPost UK: “If we do badly in Scotland, Wales and up and down regions of England the PM will undoubtedly face a challenge.”
Rayner’s positioning has already sparked unease within the party, particularly among those who worked alongside her during her time as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
“She wasn’t up to running her department, never mind the country,” said one former aide. “She couldn’t even get the bins emptied in Birmingham.”
Referring to the prolonged refuse workers’ strike, the aide added: “She used to sit in meetings and ask why the strike was going on, when ending it was literally her job.”
Internal Backlash Grows Over Policy And Leadership Credibility
Even if cleared by tax authorities, questions surrounding Rayner’s past resignation over stamp duty issues remain a concern for some within Labour ranks.
“Making Angie prime minister isn’t going to make things any better for the party because most voters think she doesn’t pay her tax,” one Labour source said.
Criticism has also been directed at her stance on immigration, with some party figures arguing that Mahmood’s reforms are widely supported by the public.
“The public support for what Shabana is doing is enormous, it’s probably the most popular thing the government is doing,” a senior insider said. “The party will struggle to get a hearing if it suddenly changes its mind on something with such strong public support.
“This is the territory Labour gets itself into all the time – talking to itself rather than to the country at large.”
Writing in The Guardian, Rayner pointed to centre-left victories in countries such as Canada, Australia and Norway as examples of how progressive parties can recover.
“They showed they would tackle the issues that mattered most to people, and voters decided that a progressive government that puts people first and lowers costs for ordinary people was the better choice,” she wrote.
However, critics within Labour dismissed the comparison.
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“In each country Rayner cites, the governing party bounced back in the final year of the parliamentary term before going on to win,” one MP said. “This is a view which seeks to falsely cherry pick countries, ignoring the dramatic fall in support for centre left parties across advanced democracies in Europe.”
Another backbencher questioned her policy direction: “Where’s Angela’s vision? It’s all very well criticising, but there’s no substance.
“What would she do to tackle the energy crisis, the geopolitical headwinds, or young people not in work, education or training? She’s got nothing to say on any of those things.”
Starmer’s Leadership Still Holds Amid Divided Party
Despite mounting pressure, some within Labour believe Starmer could remain leader beyond the May elections.
“At the moment, he’s the least worst option,” a Labour veteran said. “A lot of people doubt whether Rayner’s up to it, and there’s a suspicion that Wes [Streeting] is all style and no substance. Andy Burnham can’t even get a seat so he’s out of the equation.”
The source added: “Out of them all I’d probably favour Shabana, but the immigration stuff puts me off. Sending girls back to Afghanistan is beyond the pale, in my opinion.”
A former Labour adviser echoed that sentiment: “There is definitely a world in which Keir is still there at the end of the year.
“The right of the party have worked out none of their candidates stand a chance of winning with the members, and the left are getting everything they want from Starmer anyway, so why bother changing it?”
Angela Rayner has made her opening move in what could become a defining leadership contest. Whether she can carry that momentum through remains uncertain.
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