The Right Honourable
Angela Rayner
MP
Official portrait, 2019
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Shadow Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom[lower-alpha 1]
Assumed office
5 April 2020
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byEmily Thornberry
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
Assumed office
4 April 2020
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byTom Watson
Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Assumed office
4 September 2023
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byLisa Nandy
Party political offices
2020–2021
Chair of the Labour Party
In office
5 April 2020 – 8 May 2021
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byIan Lavery
Succeeded byAnneliese Dodds
Labour Party National Campaign Coordinator
In office
5 April 2020 – 8 May 2021
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byIan Lavery
Andrew Gwynne
Succeeded byShabana Mahmood
Shadow portfolios
2016–2023
Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office
9 May 2021 – 4 September 2023
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byRachel Reeves
Succeeded byPat McFadden
Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work
In office
9 May 2021 – 4 September 2023
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Shadow Secretary of State for Education
In office
1 July 2016 – 5 April 2020
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byPat Glass
Succeeded byRebecca Long-Bailey
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
In office
27 June 2016 – 6 October 2016
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byKate Green
Succeeded bySarah Champion
Shadow Minister for Pensions
In office
11 January 2016 – 1 July 2016
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byNick Thomas-Symonds
Succeeded byAlex Cunningham
Member of Parliament
for Ashton-under-Lyne
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byDavid Heyes
Majority4,263 (11.1%)
Personal details
Born
Angela Bowen

(1980-03-28) 28 March 1980
Stockport, Greater Manchester, England
Political partyLabour
Spouse
Mark Rayner
​
​
(m. 2010; sep. 2020)​
Children3
Residence(s)Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, England
Alma materStockport College
Signature
Websitewww.angelarayner.co.uk

Angela Rayner (née Bowen; born 28 March 1980) is a British politician serving as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party since 2020 and Shadow Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities since 2023. Rayner has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashton-under-Lyne since 2015. She ideologically identifies as a socialist and as being part of Labour's soft left.

Rayner was born and raised in Stockport, where she attended the state secondary Avondale School. She left school aged 16 whilst pregnant and without any qualifications. She later trained in social care at Stockport College and worked for the local council as a care worker. She eventually became a trade union representative within Unison, during which time she joined the Labour Party. Selected to contest Ashton‑under‑Lyne in 2014 and elected for the seat at the 2015 general election, she was appointed Shadow Minister for Pensions by Jeremy Corbyn in January 2016.

Rayner was promoted in July 2016 to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities. As Shadow Education Secretary, she proposed the creation of a National Education Service modelled on the National Health Service (NHS). She endorsed Rebecca Long-Bailey in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election, who came second to Keir Starmer, then successfully stood for the deputy leadership, after which she was appointed Shadow First Secretary of State. She was also appointed party chair and national campaign coordinator but was removed from these roles in a reshuffle following Labour's poor performance at the 2021 local elections, subsequently being appointed Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work. She was appointed Shadow Deputy Prime Minister in a 2023 reshuffle, and was also appointed Shadow Levelling-Up Secretary and Strategic Lead for Labour's New Deal.

Early life and career

Rayner was born on 28 March 1980 in Stockport, Greater Manchester.[1] She attended Avondale School in Stockport, leaving the school aged 16 after becoming pregnant, and did not obtain any qualifications.[2][3] She later studied part-time at Stockport College, learning British Sign Language, and gaining an NVQ Level 2 in social care.[1][4]

After leaving college, Rayner worked for Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council as a care worker for a number of years. During this time, she was also elected as a trade union representative for Unison. She was later elected as convenor of Unison North West, becoming the union's most senior official in the region.[5][6] The Guardian featured a lengthy profile of Rayner in 2012, as part of an article on a trade union officer's working life.[7]

Member of Parliament

In September 2014, Rayner was selected as the Labour Party's candidate for Ashton-under-Lyne, on the retirement of David Heyes. She won the seat at the 2015 general election, increasing the Labour majority and its share of the vote.[8][9] She delivered her maiden speech on 2 June 2015.[10][11]

Rayner nominated Andy Burnham in the 2015 Labour leadership election, but was one of just 18 MPs to back the incumbent Jeremy Corbyn against Owen Smith in the 2016 leadership election.[12]

On 1 July 2016, after a series of resignations from the shadow cabinet, Corbyn appointed Rayner as Shadow Secretary of State for Education.[5][13] She supported the notion of a 'National Education Service' to be modelled along similar lines to the National Health Service (NHS), also promoting an increase in funding for early years education.[14] She was considered by some as a possible future Labour leader.[15][16]

Rayner rallying in Falmouth for the Labour Party in November 2019 for the general election campaign

In the 2019 general election, Rayner was returned as MP for the third time in five years. She did not stand for the Labour leadership in the 2020 leadership election, supporting her flatmate Rebecca Long-Bailey, who came second to Keir Starmer. She stood successfully for Deputy Leader, elected on 4 April 2020, replacing Tom Watson. In the following days she was appointed Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Shadow First Secretary of State and Chair of the Labour Party.[17][18][19] In October 2020 Rayner called Conservative MP Chris Clarkson "scum" as he was giving a speech in Parliament.[20] She later apologised.[21][22] Clarkson had been critical of Andy Burnham, who had been seeking financial support for Greater Manchester following local restrictions on businesses being introduced. Clarkson's constituency falls within the boundaries of Greater Manchester, as does Rayner's.[20]

Rayner was appointed to Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council on 12 February 2021.[23]

Rayner was removed from her roles as the Labour Party's chair and national campaign coordinator in a reshuffle by Starmer on 8 May 2021, following the 2021 local elections.[24][25] Rayner was subsequently appointed Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work.[26]

In September 2021, Rayner strongly criticised senior members of the Conservative Party, stating: "We cannot get any worse than a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, misogynistic, absolute pile... of banana republic... Etonian... piece of scum".[27] Some Labour MPs, while saying it was not the language that they would have used, defended her comments, including Steve Reed, John McDonnell and Lisa Nandy.[28] Starmer distanced himself from her remarks, but said it was up to Rayner if she wanted to apologise or not,[29] while other Labour MPs, including shadow cabinet ministers, condemned her in stronger terms.[30]

The former Labour cabinet minister Lord Adonis said that if Rayner did not apologise for her comments, Starmer should say that he no longer has confidence in her as the deputy leader of the party. Adonis told Times Radio that her remarks were a way to start an election campaign for the leadership of the Labour Party.[31] Several Conservative MPs, including Grant Shapps, Amanda Milling and Oliver Dowden, condemned her comments.[31] Rayner later apologised for her comments in light of the murder of David Amess, a Conservative MP, the following month.[32]

In October 2021, Rayner reported receiving a number of death threats and abusive messages. The police arrested a 52-year-old man in Halifax.[33] She cancelled a number of meetings with her constituents due to fears for her own safety.[33] Later, a 36-year-old man from Cambridgeshire was sentenced after sending her a threatening email. The man pleaded guilty in court to sending the email and was sentenced to 15 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months.[34] Earlier in March 2019, Rayner said that she had fitted panic buttons at her home after rape and death threats were sent to her.[35]

On 24 April 2022, Rayner was the subject of a report in The Mail on Sunday, by Glen Owen, in which it was alleged that she had tried to distract Boris Johnson in the Commons by crossing and uncrossing her legs in a similar manner to Sharon Stone in a scene from the 1992 film Basic Instinct.[36] The report was subsequently condemned by a range of voices across the political spectrum including the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the House. The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) reported that it had received 5,500 complaints about the article and was exploring possible breaches of its code of practice.[37] Lia Nici, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, later repeated the claims in a BBC interview.[38]

In May 2022, Rayner said she would resign if she received a fixed penalty notice for breaching COVID-19 regulations while campaigning during the run-up to the Hartlepool by-election and local elections the previous year.[39] The controversy surrounding the event was dubbed "Beergate".[40] They were both cleared by Durham Police in July 2022 who said there was "no case to answer".[41]

On 4 September 2023, Keir Starmer appointed Rayner as shadow levelling up secretary, and shadow deputy prime minister.[42] Rayner's strong support base and potential as a future leader led to the New Statesman ranking her as the eighth most powerful person in British left-wing politics for 2023.[43]

Political views

Rayner speaking at the 2020 Labour Party deputy leadership election hustings in Bristol

Rayner identifies as a socialist.[44][45] In a 2017 interview to The Guardian discussing her political beliefs, Rayner highlighted her pragmatism, describing herself as being part of the "soft left" of the Labour Party.[15] She has strongly criticised former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, as he "did not command the respect of the party", and critiqued his lack of "discipline" when it came to dealing with allegations of antisemitism.[46]

Rayner has described herself as "quite hardline" on law and order issues, having suffered from antisocial behaviour when she was young. In an interview, she said police should "shoot your terrorists and ask questions second" and that she had told her local police force to "beat down the door of the criminals and sort them out and antagonise them."[47]

Rayner has made a political point of her working-class roots. She has asked Hansard transcribers not to correct her speeches, preferring purportedly "incorrect" grammar "because it's who I am".[48]

A member of the Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East, Rayner has condemned the killings of Palestinians during the Great March of Return and has repeatedly cited Israeli violations of human rights against Palestinians on social media.[49]

Rayner has said that she "didn’t have a particularly strong view either way" on Brexit.[50] She campaigned and voted to remain in the European Union (EU) during the 2016 Brexit referendum.[51][52] After the referendum result, she voted in favour of Article 50, arguing that although she was "fiercely pro-EU" she was "also a democrat".[52] She opposed Labour's policy for a second referendum adopted under Jeremy Corbyn[53] and argued that it would "undermine democracy".[54] She also opposed a delay to Article 50.[55] When asked how she would vote in a second referendum in December 2019, Rayner said she would vote leave as long as the withdrawal agreement "protects the economy and jobs".[56]

On 10 January 2024, Rayner stated that the Labour Party "completely opposes" the position to boycott, disinvest or sanction (BDS) Israel and called BDS "completely wrong".[57]

Personal life

In 2010, Rayner married Mark Rayner, a Unison official.[1] She has three sons, the first born when she was aged 16.[2] Her second son Charlie was born prematurely at 23 weeks and Rayner says that the care that her son received demonstrated the importance of the NHS to her.[6][58] Rayner lives in her constituency of Ashton-under-Lyne with her family. She became a grandmother in November 2017.[59] Rayner and her husband separated in 2020.[60] In the summer of 2022, journalists began reporting that Rayner was "in a relationship" with Labour MP Sam Tarry, which the pair have neither confirmed nor denied.[61][62][63]

In an interview in 2018, Rayner said that her mother had been unable to read or write; she had previously mentioned this in a tribute she made to her mother in 2016.[64] In a 2022 interview, Rayner said that she grew up in poverty on a council estate and could have been taken into care.[50] In the same interview, she recounted that after a year-long training programme to lose over six stone in weight, she took out a bank loan of £5,600 for cosmetic surgery on her 30th birthday.[50][65]

Notes

  1. ↑ As Shadow First Secretary of State from 9 April 2020 to 4 September 2023

References

  1. 1 2 3 'RAYNER, Angela', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016 accessed 5 October 2017 Archived 29 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 "Not bad for a ginger kid!". Oldham Chronicle. 11 November 2014. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  3. ↑ Newman, Cathy (29 September 2016). "Teen mum turned Labour MP: Why Angela Rayner should have the Tories running scared". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 September 2016.
  4. ↑ Rayner, Angela (12 November 2019). "Education Gave Me A Vital Second Chance That Too Many People Still Don't Get". HuffPost UK. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Exclusive: Angela Rayner becomes third shadow education secretary in a week". Schools Week. 1 July 2016. Archived from the original on 11 July 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  6. 1 2 Fitzgerald, Todd (7 August 2015). "Commons vow by new Ashton MP Angela Rayner who was told she'd amount to nothing". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  7. ↑ "A working life: the Union Official". The Guardian. 17 February 2012. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017.
  8. ↑ "New Labour candidate: We need real people with life experience to bring common sense to Parliament". Manchester Evening News. 8 September 2014. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014.
  9. ↑ "Ashton-under-Lyne". BBC News Online. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015.
  10. ↑ Angela Rayner's maiden speech in the Commons, retrieved 30 December 2022
  11. ↑ "Tuesday 2 June 2015". UK Parliament.
  12. ↑ Pine, Sarah (27 June 2016). "Corbyn addresses crowd of up to 10,000 on eve of confidence vote". LabourList. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  13. ↑ England's schools face 'severe' teacher shortage Archived 30 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine BBC News. 20 August 2018
  14. ↑ "Labour to outline plans for National Education Service and 'cradle to grave' learning". 26 September 2017. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017.
  15. 1 2 Moss, Stephen (28 July 2017). "Labour's Angela Rayner: 'I'm proper working-class and Jeremy Kyle'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  16. ↑ Eaton, George (19 May 2017). "The irresistible rise of Angela Rayner". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017.
  17. ↑ "Angela Rayner MP". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  18. ↑ "Keir Starmer announces senior Shadow Cabinet appointments". The Labour Party. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  19. ↑ "Keir Starmer appoints Labour frontbench". labour.org.uk. Archived from the original on 5 September 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  20. 1 2 "Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner under fire for 'calling a Tory MP scum'". The Independent. 21 October 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  21. ↑ "Angela Rayner apologises for 'scum' remark in Commons". BBC News. 21 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  22. ↑ Murphy, Simon (21 October 2020). "Angela Rayner apologises for calling Tory MP 'scum' in Commons". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  23. ↑ "Privy Council appointments: 12 February 2021". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  24. ↑ "Angela Rayner sacked as Labour Party chair by Sir Keir Starmer, Sky News understands". Sky News. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  25. ↑ Bush, Stephen (8 May 2021). "Keir Starmer's sacking of Angela Rayner is self-destructive, stupid and wrong". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  26. ↑ "Meet our Shadow Cabinet". The Labour Party. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  27. ↑ Fisher, Lucy (26 September 2021). "Angela Rayner rebuked by Keir Starmer for branding Tories 'scum'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.(subscription required)
  28. ↑ "Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner refuses to apologise for calling senior Tories 'scum'". ITV News. 26 September 2021. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  29. ↑ "Angela Rayner rebuked by Keir Starmer for branding Tories 'scum'". The Daily Telegraph. 26 September 2021. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  30. ↑ Courea, Eleni (27 September 2021). "Keir Starmer refuses to back Angela Rayner over 'Tory scum' comment". The Times. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.(subscription required)
  31. 1 2 Cowburn, Ashley (27 September 2021). "Labour conference: Angela Rayner defends calling PM and senior Tories 'scum'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  32. ↑ Woodcock, Andrew (28 October 2021). "Angela Rayner apologises for calling Conservatives 'scum'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  33. 1 2 Lyons, Izzy; Yorke, Harry (27 October 2021). "Angela Rayner bombarded with 'death threats and abusive messages'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  34. ↑ "Angela Rayner: Man sentenced for threats to Labour deputy leader". BBC News. 28 October 2021. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  35. ↑ Sabbagh, Dan (4 March 2019). "Angela Rayner has panic buttons fitted after online threats". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  36. ↑ "Angela Rayner: MPs hit back over claims of 'Basic Instinct' tactics to distract PM". BBC News. 25 April 2022.
  37. ↑ "Angela Rayner: Tory source of misogyny claims would be punished, PM says". BBC News. 25 April 2022.
  38. ↑ "New minister Lia Nici repeats Angela Rayner legs slur". BBC News. 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  39. ↑ Sparrow, Andrew (9 May 2022). "Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner to resign if fined over Beergate claims". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  40. ↑ Culbertson, Alix (6 May 2022). "Beergate: Sir Keir Starmer insists there was 'no party' after Durham Police say they will investigate claims he broke lockdown rules". Sky News.
  41. ↑ Whannel, Kate (8 July 2022). "Sir Keir Starmer cleared by police over Durham lockdown beers". BBC News.
  42. ↑ Seddon, Paul (4 September 2023). "Angela Rayner handed new role as Keir Starmer reshuffles top team". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  43. ↑ Statesman, New (17 May 2023). "The New Statesman's left power list". New Statesman. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  44. ↑ Moss, Stephen (28 July 2017). "Labour's Angela Rayner: 'Ideology never put food on my table'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  45. ↑ Proctor, Kate (6 January 2020). "Angela Rayner: I'm a socialist but not a 'Corbynite'". Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  46. ↑ Mason, Rowena (24 February 2020). "Angela Rayner: Corbyn did not command respect from Labour". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 September 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  47. ↑ Elgot, Jessica (17 February 2022). "Angela Rayner: police should 'shoot terrorists and ask questions second'". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  48. ↑ Diver, Tony (4 July 2022). "Angela Rayner: I won't let Parliament correct my working-class grammar". The Telegraph – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  49. ↑ Birawi, Zaher; Andrews, Robert (14 April 2020). "Keir Starmer as Labour Party leader: What this means for Palestine". Middle East Monitor. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  50. 1 2 3 Pickard, Jim (11 November 2022). "Angela Rayner: 'Normally I say, "play the ball not the man". But Boris was literally the ball and the man'". Financial Times. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  51. ↑ "EU vote: Where the cabinet and other MPs stand". BBC News. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  52. 1 2 Hughes, Pascale (12 May 2017). "Every Leave constituency where the MP voted Remain". i. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  53. ↑ Swinford, Steven (1 June 2023). "Angela Rayner: My personal life is my personal life ... Somehow Boris is celebrated as a lad for his". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  54. ↑ Honeycombe-Foster, Matt (14 December 2018). "Labour frontbencher Angela Rayner warns second Brexit referendum would 'undermine democracy'". Politics Home. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  55. ↑ Honeycombe-Foster, Matt (27 January 2019). "Labour's Angela Rayner says public 'don't want' Article 50 extension as she rubbishes second referendum". Politics Home. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  56. ↑ Gye, Hugo (9 December 2019). "Angela Rayner says she would vote to Leave the EU in second referendum". I. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  57. ↑ "Rayner: Labour "completely opposes" BDS against Israel". lfi.org.uk. Labour Friends of Israel. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  58. ↑ "UK unions blast Education Secretary over controversial reforms". Equal Times. 30 April 2013. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015.
  59. ↑ "Grangela: Labour's Angela Rayner is grandmother at 37". BBC News. 22 November 2017. Archived from the original on 22 November 2017.
  60. ↑ Sylvester, Rachel; Thomson, Alice (24 September 2021). "Angela Rayner: 'I find it difficult feeling happy'". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021. She met her husband, Mark Rayner, through the trade union movement. They are now separated. [...]
  61. ↑ "Shadow ministers question Labour's stance on strikes after Tarry sacking". The Guardian. 27 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  62. ↑ Diver, Tony; Turner, Camilla; Gill, Oliver (27 July 2022). "Keir Starmer sacks Angela Rayner's shadow minister boyfriend for joining rail strike picket line". The Daily Telegraph.
  63. ↑ Burford, Rachael (25 August 2022). "Labour MP Sam Tarry lashes out as he loses reselection battle". Evening Standard. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  64. ↑ "Labour MP Angela Rayner's tribute to her 'inspirational' mother". inews.co.uk. 24 September 2016. Archived from the original on 25 September 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  65. ↑ "Angela Rayner borrowed £5,600 for cosmetic surgery after shedding 'baby weight'". Sky News. 12 November 2022.
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