UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK Deputy PM Angela Rayner rejects leadership rumours, affirms she has no plans to challenge Sir Keir Starmer.
As reported by The Independent, Angela Rayner rules out leadership ambitions, insisting she won’t seek Labour leadership or challenge Keir Starmer.
Despite growing speculation within Labour, Rayner firmly ruled out leading the party as Starmer faces pressure over declining public support.
It was revealed that several Labour MPs from the party’s soft left are mobilising to push for a shift in direction, with some of Angela Rayner’s allies urging her to launch a leadership challenge.
Angela Rayner’s stance on Labour leadership
During an interview with Sky News, when asked if she would end speculation regarding a leadership bid, Ms Rayner said,
“Yeah. Absolutely not. I don’t want to be the leader of the Labour Party.”
She stated,
“I’m very happy and honoured to be deputy prime minister of the country, and I’ve got a lot in my in tray to prove that I can do the job that I’m doing and deliver on those milestones for people in the country. That’s what I’m interested in.”
Asked if she intends to become leader, Ms Rayner responded,
“I have no desire to go for the leadership of the Labour Party. My desire is to deliver for the people of this country who have given me opportunities beyond what I could have dreamed of.”
Pressed on whether she would ever take on the leadership, she replied, “Never.”
How is Labour’s leadership crisis shaping up after local election defeats?
A leaked document outlining proposed tax hikes and media reports hinting at Ms Rayner’s possible demotion has sparked rumours that she would challenge for the leadership.
Sir Keir’s leadership faces growing scrutiny after Labour’s significant setback in local elections. The party saw two-thirds of its council seats lost compared to 2021 and lost the Runcorn and Helsby seat to Reform UK, which was previously held by Labour.
Tensions are increasing over the party’s path under Sir Keir after a challenging 10 months, amid criticism of its strict migration policies, planned welfare reductions, and last year’s move to means-test winter fuel payments.
However, the prime minister’s plans to soften the winter fuel reforms have done little to ease serious concerns among backbenchers that the government is distancing itself from key supporters.
Angela Rayner’s views on scrapping the two-child benefit cap
The deputy prime minister said the government is examining the possibility of ending the two-child benefit but did not commit to any decision.
According to her, the child poverty task force will present its findings “before the end of the year,” addressing multiple key concerns.
When asked a second time if the government would scrap the two-child cap, Ms Rayner replied,
“This is what we’re looking at as part of the child task force. In the round, there are a number of pressures that are on families at the moment.”
Pushed for a third time, she said,
“Lifting any measures that will alleviate poverty for some of the poorest families is not a bad idea.”
The deputy PM explained,
“It’s not going to alleviate the levels of child poverty. There are some factors: people’s wages not increasing, their employment being insecure, the cost of living crisis that we face, the bills going up, and the housing costs have gone up. So, it’s not one particular element that is going to safeguard people from poverty,”
adding,
“But I do know that having a good job that pays well allows you to open doors and opportunities for you to have a family and to do well in life.”
What did Angela Rayner say about reforming support for children with EHCPs?
Angela Rayner said the EHCP system is “broken” and currently fails to serve children well.
She stated,
“We’re looking at how we can support those children best. What we want to do is provide a package of support that is an early support. It’s like the golden ticket to get the EHCP now, because without it, children are left without the support.”
When questioned about eliminating these, Ms Rayner responded that “the system at the moment isn’t giving support to children when they need it most,” highlighting that numerous children are “waiting years and years having to fight through a tribunal system just to get an EHCP.”
Two-child benefit cap
- What it is: Limits tax credits/Universal Credit to the first two children (born after April 2017).
- Purpose: Introduced in 2017 to reduce welfare spending.
- Impact: Pushes families into poverty—470,000+ children affected; 109 fall into poverty daily.
- Criticism: Called “cruel” and unfair, especially for families facing sudden hardship (e.g., job loss, disability).
- Reform plans: Labour may scrap it (cost: £3.5bn/year); Reform UK also pledged to abolish it.