Angela Rayner has issued a last-chance warning to Keir Starmer, urging him to overhaul Labour's approach after the party'sheavy losses in the local elections. In a statement released on Sunday night, the former deputy prime minister said the results showed the government was not doing enough for working people.
She called for a change in direction and specifically criticised the decision to block Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from returning to parliament. The intervention has intensifiedspeculation about the future of Starmer's leadership.
BBC reported that Labour lost more than 1,460 council seats and control of over 30 local authorities in last week's elections. The defeats came at the hands of Reform UK and the Greens in traditional strongholds including Birmingham, Leeds and parts of the north. Rayner described how voters felt let down by stagnant living standards that have barely improved in a decade and a half. People were turning to populists because the party had not fixed the cost of living crisis, she said.
'This is bigger than personalities, but it is time to acknowledge that blocking Andy Burnham was a mistake,' Rayner wrote as reported in a GB News article.
She warned that Labour risked becoming a party of the well-off rather than its core supporters. In London, young people feared they would never own a home, while in Scotland and Wales the party was not seen as the solution.
At the heart of Rayner's message was a direct appeal to Starmer to embrace change by bringing the party's strongest figures into parliament. She argued that the decision to prevent Andy Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election earlier this year – a seat the Greens subsequently won – had been a misstep as reported by Mirror.
Labour needed to adopt the kind of agenda that has worked at local level, such as Burnham's initiatives in Greater Manchester, rather than old national policies that have failed voters. The former deputy prime minister said the party must change how it runs itself so that all voices are listened to, and shift its economic agenda to make people better off.
Policy tweaks alone would not suffice; fundamental changes were required at pace. Her comments have been interpreted as support for a more inclusive approach that could include Burnham returning to Westminster ahead of any potential leadership transition.
With about 40 MPs already calling for Starmer to set out an exit plan, the prime minister faces a critical few days. Backbencher Catherine West has threatened to trigger a leadership contest if no timetable for change is forthcoming.Starmer is expected to address the situation in a speech this week. Rayner stopped short of demanding his resignation but made clear that the current path was not sustainable.
Her statement has added to the sense of urgency within Labour ranks. Guardian political editor Pippa Crerar reportedon Xthat the intervention had heightened tensions at the top of the party.
Source: International Business Times UK
