Union Leader Advocates for Angela Rayner to Succeed Keir Starmer
Maryam Eslamdoust, the general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA), has publicly called for Angela Rayner to replace Keir Starmer as Labour leader. She warns that Starmer's leadership could lead to a significant election defeat against Nigel Farage's Reform UK, adding pressure during a tumultuous week for the prime minister.
Open Challenge to Starmer's Authority
Eslamdoust is the first union leader to openly demand Rayner take charge, suggesting this should occur after the upcoming Gorton and Denton byelection, which she predicts Labour will lose. She emphasized the need for a woman leader in the Labour party, stating, "I think it's time that the Labour party had a woman leader. The Tories have had three women prime ministers and four leaders and we've had none." She described Rayner as a credible figure and urged women MPs to support her candidacy.
Criticizing Starmer's political judgment, Eslamdoust referenced a series of poor decisions, including the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, which she claims has eroded trust. "It's not as simple as one dodgy appointment," she said. "It's a series of poor political judgments. We're in a period of economic and geopolitical instability with a prime minister that has exercised cumulative poor political judgment, so trust in him is completely gone."
Labour Party Turmoil and Internal Divisions
Starmer has faced a challenging week, losing his chief of staff and communications director while being denounced by the Labour leader in Scotland, Anas Sarwar. Despite Sarwar's lack of confidence, Starmer secured cabinet backing, with key figures including Rayner publicly supporting him. However, many in the party anticipate a leadership challenge soon, potentially after the byelection or local elections in May.
Allies of health secretary Wes Streeting have suggested he might challenge Starmer post-local elections, though Streeting denies such plans. Meanwhile, Rayner has pressured Starmer to reduce taxes on the hospitality industry, highlighting issues like high business rates and energy bills. "Customers just aren't there in the way they used to be as business rates remain punishingly high, energy bills soar and costs in your supply chains and VAT bite," she said at an event in Liverpool.
Union Dynamics and Future Leadership Battle
Eslamdoust initially called for Starmer's resignation on Monday, joining Steve Wright of the Fire Brigades Union as one of two Labour-affiliated general secretaries advocating for leadership change. The TSSA, which donated approximately £30,000 to Labour last year, is among the smaller of the 11 affiliated unions. Eslamdoust, a former advisor to Jeremy Corbyn, wants Rayner to shift the party leftward, advocating for stronger worker protections and nationalizations in rail, water, and energy industries.
A Downing Street spokesperson defended Starmer, noting, "Keir Starmer is one of only four Labour leaders ever to have won a general election. He has a clear five-year mandate from the British people to deliver change and that is what he will do." Eslamdoust's endorsement of Rayner sets the stage for a potential struggle between Rayner and Streeting to gain union backing. While Rayner has garnered support from many union leaders with her employment rights agenda, she has also faced criticism from Unite, one of the largest unions, for opposing the Birmingham bin strikes.
This development underscores the deepening fractures within the Labour party as it navigates internal dissent and prepares for upcoming electoral tests.
