Rayner tells allies ‘now or never’ to oust Starmer from No 10 | Politics | News
Rayner is being considered as a candidate to replace Starmer (Image: Getty)
Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner reportedly told her allies that they should take action against the Prime Minister and remove him from office. Ms Rayner, 46, who is widely regarded as the front-runner for Sir Keir Starmer if he is sacked, reportedly told her cadre of supporters that it was “now or never” to kick her embattled boss out of Downing Street.
Labour’s leading candidate, who was sacked as deputy prime minister over tax issues, is said to be seeking support from the backbenchers as he plans to take action as soon as possible. Sir Keir’s position at the top of the Labor Party has been weakened after calls for him to resign following new developments in the Lord Mandelson review scandal.
This month it was revealed that Sir Keir’s disgraced colleague for the US Ambassadorship had failed scrutiny for security clearance. He was nevertheless granted the right, and after months of telling MPs that “due process” had been followed, Sir Keir was accused of misleading the House of Commons – allegations he denies.
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Now Ms Rayner, branded the ‘Red Queen’ by those in Westminster, is said to be plotting her revenge on her former boss, with allies briefing the Mail on Sunday that Sir Keir’s sacking “must happen immediately, otherwise this deadly stalemate will last forever. It’s now or never.”
A politically dangerous week is approaching for the Prime Minister, who may face a vote in the House of Commons to decide his political future. This week, Labor MP-elect Sir Lindsey Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, will decide whether to vote for opposition parties to be referred to the Prime Minister’s privileges committee.
Such a vote, if passed, would trigger a “dirt inquiry” in which MPs would decide whether Sir Keir misled the House about the appointment of Lord Mandelson as US Ambassador. The same committee brought down Boris Johnson and the Prime Minister’s allies say he will be finished if the vote passes and he is called to the Committee.
Ms Rayner is one of Sir Keir’s main rivals ahead of the potential leadership race and is thought to be the front-runner as Labor Mayor Andy Burnham faces an uphill battle as he has no seat in Parliament. It has been reported that Ms Rayner may consider delaying her bid until the tax issue is resolved.
Starmer faces privileges committee vote this week (Image: Getty)
But sources told the Mail on Sunday he may have acted sooner because he thought he would either be cleared or found to have committed a minor technical offense for underpaying stamp duty on the south coast promenade.
A source told the newspaper: “Ideally he wanted to wait for the tax issue to be resolved. But he came to the view that if it all started he would have to throw his hat in the ring. And it starts.” Another said the former deputy prime minister was “delighted” to reach a deal with tax bosses on the issue.
MPs need to have the support of 81 colleagues to attempt to take control of the Labor Party. Andy Burham, Yvette Cooper and Ed Miliband are reportedly being considered by MPs as potential replacements for Sir Keir.
The proposed vote on whether the Prime Minister should be called to the so-called dirt committee came after Sir Keir claimed No 10 had not put “any” pressure on the Foreign Office over Lord Mandelson’s appointment. His comments appear to run counter to remarks by the department’s former permanent secretary, Sir Olly Robbins, who previously told MPs that Downing Street was applying “constant pressure” to install Labor’s peer into his popular post in Washington.
