Angela Rayner has warned Kier Starmer that Starmer he’s “running out of time” and Labour is now seen as “the Establishment” in some voters’ eyes
In a major intervention in a speech to the Mainstream movement she branded the forthcoming migration reforms as being “un-British” and gave a rallying cry for Labour to emulate successful progressive parties that have seen off the threat from a surge on the right
“Many people came here to Britain on the understanding that if they’ve worked in the sectors where we needed them, obeyed the law and paid their taxes, that they could stay. If we suddenly change that, it pulls the rug from under those that have planned their lives and commitments and they’re contributing to our economy and to our society. That would not just be bad policy, but a breach of trust.
“The people already in the system who made a huge investment now fear for their future she added
She also attacked Reform who she says are “twisting our flags” into symbols of division – and says they’re on side of the people who rigged the system.
She also made sharp critiques of Starmer’s political approach.
Rayner said: “It’s our job to show the British people whose side we’re on. Like other social democratic parties across the West, the very survival of the Labour Party is at stake. And it’s that serious for us, because political parties do not have the right to exist.”
She added: “In Canada, in Austria, in Norway, the centre-left parties surged back to win again. They showed that they would tackle the issues that mattered most to people and voters decided that a progressive government that puts people first and lowers the cost for ordinary people was the better choice…
“We cannot just go through the motions in the face of decline, there’s no safe ground for us, and we’re running out of time.”
Rayner made clear she plans to be more vocal after her seven months on the backbenches.
“I’ve got a lot to say and I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” she told the room.
