Angela Rayner is informing Labour MPs that she is prepared to launch a leadership campaign, even as she remains under investigation by HM Revenue and Customs over her tax affairs. In recent days, the former deputy prime minister has indicated she might support Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham in any leadership contest, but Labour sources have revealed to the Mail that she is still canvassing MPs for her own bid should Sir Keir Starmer be forced to resign abruptly.
One source commented: 'Angie was struggling for support, but she will be a big beneficiary if things move quickly. 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.'
Ms Rayner was compelled to step down from the Cabinet last year after it emerged she had failed to pay £40,000 in stamp duty on a luxury apartment in Hove, located 260 miles from her Greater Manchester constituency. The case is currently under investigation by HMRC, but allies believe she will ultimately be cleared of any wrongdoing and insist that the protracted investigation will not hinder her bid to become prime minister. Supporters argue that her popularity among Labour members would give her a strong advantage over Wes Streeting in a leadership contest.
However, polling suggests the tax controversy has diminished Ms Rayner's appeal among the wider electorate. A recent YouGov survey found that the public holds an unfavourable view of her by a margin of 56 to 21, which is worse than both Mr Burnham and Mr Streeting, and only slightly better than Sir Keir. One ally of Mr Streeting questioned the wisdom of installing Ms Rayner to succeed Sir Keir, whose position has been weakened by the controversy surrounding his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. The source asked: 'Do people really want to replace one scandal-hit leader with another?'
Rival camps also note that Ms Rayner's chances have been damaged by revelations in the Mail this month that she stumbled heavily into a door after a long night of socialising in Parliament's Strangers Bar. One MP remarked: 'That incident has reopened all the old questions about whether she really has the temperament for the top job.'
Ms Rayner is believed to have signed a non-aggression pact with Mr Burnham, pledging not to stand against him. In return, sources suggest he has promised to reappoint her as deputy prime minister if he takes power. In a speech on Monday, she criticised the Prime Minister for blocking Mr Burnham's attempt to return to Westminster in the Gorton and Denton by-election this year, suggesting he should now be allowed to return. She described the decision to bar him in February as a 'mistake that the leadership of our party should put right'.
On Sunday, Ms Rayner issued a mini-manifesto in which she stated that the Prime Minister must 'meet the moment' with bolder action to tackle inequality and 'squeezed living standards', which she insisted could be achieved 'within the current fiscal rules'. In her 1,000-word statement, she called for Labour to raise the minimum wage, grant regional mayors more economic powers, and be 'unafraid to promote new forms of public, community and cooperative ownership across the board'.
