{"id":65147,"date":"2026-05-10T17:57:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T17:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/65147\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T17:57:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T17:57:17","slug":"angela-rayner-launches-bombshell-attack-on-sir-keir-starmers-government-saying-he-has-to-change-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/65147\/","title":{"rendered":"Angela Rayner launches bombshell attack on Sir Keir Starmer’s Government saying he has to change ‘now’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Angela Rayner launched a devastating attack on Sir Keir Starmer<\/a>\u2019s Government saying things have to change \u201cnow\u201d.<\/p>\n

The former Deputy Prime Minister demanded a series of reforms as Sir Keir was battling for survival. <\/a><\/p>\n

Setting an ultimatum to Sir Keir, she said: \u201cThe Prime Minister must now meet the moment and set out the change our country needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cChange our economic agenda to prioritise making people better off, change how we run our party so that all voices are listened to, and change how we do politics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Demanding a shift to the Left by the Government, she added: \u201cLabour<\/a> exists to make working people better off.<\/p>\n

That is not happening fast enough, and it needs to change now.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis may be our last chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, she stopped short of launching a leadership bid against the PM.<\/p>\n

But he still faced the threat of a \u201cstalking horse\u201d challenge by London MP Catherine West.<\/p>\n

Speculation was also rife that Health Secretary Wes Streeting was ready to launch a leadership bid.<\/p>\n

Allies of Mr Streeting, MP for Ilford North, denied he had told Sir Keir that he was preparing his case to take over in No10.<\/p>\n

\"Angela<\/p>\n

Angela Rayner slammed Sir Keir Starmer\u2019s Government after Labour\u2019s May 7 election disaster for failing to quickly deliver change (PA Wire)<\/p>\n

After Labour\u2019s disastrous May 7 elections<\/a>, Ms Rayner tore into Sir Keir\u2019s leadership, saying: \u201cOur party has suffered a historic defeat.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn London, we lost young people who fear they will never afford a home.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my patch and across the north, we lost working people whose wages are too low and costs too high.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a clear jibe at Sir Keir, she added: \u201cCountries including Spain and Canada have shown that economies can grow and people can thrive when governments stay true to labour and social democratic values and put people first.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to learn from that.<\/p>\n

\u201cDecisions like cutting winter fuel allowance just weren\u2019t what people expected from a Labour government.\u201d<\/p>\n

She slammed the Lord Mandelson scandal as showing a \u201ctoxic culture of cronyism\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Sir<\/p>\n

Sir Keir Starmer has been rocked by the Lord Mandelson scandal after he appointed the peer Britain\u2019s ambassador to the US (PA Archive)<\/p>\n

Ms Rayner demanded \u201cimmediate\u201d action to cut costs for households, paid for by higher taxes by \u201cthose who benefit from the crisis\u201d in the cost of living.<\/p>\n

She hit out at Labour chiefs, including Sir Keir, for blocking Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from a Commons comeback.<\/a><\/p>\n

Laying out a clear platform for Labour under her leadership, she called for more action to support renters, more devolution of power, a \u201cfair pay agreement\u201d in social care and greater planning reforms.<\/p>\n

Her move came as the Labour Party was plunged into infighting over the attempt by Ms West to remove Sir Keir as Prime Minister.<\/p>\n

In a live TV clash with Cabinet<\/a> minister Bridget Phillipson, the Hornsey and Friern Barnet MP doubled down on her threatened move against Sir Keir.<\/a><\/p>\n

But within hours key figures on the Left of the Labour Party spoke out against her trying to trigger a leadership contest on Monday if the Cabinet<\/a> does not force Sir Keir to resign.<\/p>\n

Richard Burgon MP posted on X: \u201cKeir Starmer needs to go.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut not through a Cabinet stitch-up or palace coup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington, stressed: \u201cCatherine West is reflecting the upset in her constituency where so many seats were lost.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I don\u2019t think this is right approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also appeared to signal that many on the Left of the party want Mr Burnham to replace Sir Keir.<\/p>\n

Earlier, Ms West had appeared on the BBC\u2019s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show alongside Education Secretary Ms Phillipson.<\/p>\n

At the start of the programme the two were seated side by side as Ms West repeated her appeal to the Cabinet to move against Sir Keir or she would launch a leadership challen.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"London<\/p>\n

London MP Catherine West and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson on the BBC\u2019s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show (NC)<\/p>\n

Asked about her message to Ms Phillipson, Ms West said: \u201cThere’s nothing stopping Bridget from standing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are the all the men better than the women?\u201d<\/p>\n

She added; \u201cWe do need some senior women to step forward and to challenge for what is going to be a really difficult two and a half years between now and the general election.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cabinet minister responded: \u201cI love you dearly, Catherine, but I just disagree on this one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ms Phillipson said Sir Keir would set out a \u201cfresh direction\u201d for the Government on Monday to rise to the challenges that it and the country are facing.<\/p>\n

\"Sir<\/p>\n

Sir Keir Starmer is battling to stay Prime Minister (PA Wire)<\/p>\n

Ms West said she would listen to the speech before deciding whether to press ahead with her attempt to gain the support of 81 Labour MPs<\/a> to trigger a leadership challenge against Sir Keir.<\/p>\n

Her intervention has electrified the debate about Sir Keir\u2019s future after Labour\u2019s disastrous election results.<\/p>\n

The party lost nearly 1,500 council seats in England at it was hammered by Nigel Farage\u2019s Reform UK in the regions and by Zack Polanski\u2019s Green Party in London.<\/p>\n

The Greens won control of Lewisham, Hackney and Waltham Forest <\/a>in a series of historic wins.<\/p>\n

Brent, Enfield, Haringey Southwark and Lambeth fell to no overall control after decades of Labour rule.<\/p>\n

\"Green<\/p>\n

Green Party leader Zack Polanski and Zoe Garbett celebrate their victory in London\u2019s Hackney (Getty)<\/p>\n

Reform took control of Havering council <\/a>and gained 1,451 seats nationwide which Nigel Farage suggested put it on course to win the next general election.<\/p>\n

The Greens won 441 seats, the Liberal Democrats 155, with the Tories also hit by dire results, losing 563.<\/p>\n

Labour was also ousted from power in Wales and was hit by further losses in Scotland.<\/p>\n

As he battled for survival, Sir Keir brought back former Prime Minister Gordon Brown<\/a>, in a special envoy on finance role, and Baroness Harriet Harman as a No10 adviser on women and girls.<\/p>\n

\"Sir<\/p>\n

Sir Keir Starmer has brought back Gordon Brown as a special envoy on finance (PA)<\/p>\n

Sir Keir has insisted he will not quit as Prime Minister<\/a> but he is coming under mounting pressure from Labour backbenchers to resign or set a timetable for his departure.<\/p>\n

Brent West MP Barry Gardiner said Sir Keir should go to “save the country”.<\/p>\n

Former loyalist Josh Simons, MP for Makerfield, called for the PM to quit, saying he had \u201clost the country\u201d.<\/p>\n

Dozens of backbench Labour MPs<\/a> have voiced concerns over the Government\u2019s direction after the election mauling.<\/p>\n

But some MPs were rallying to support the PM and it was not yet clear if Ms West would succeed in getting the support of 81 MPs, 20% of the party in the Commons, to trigger a contest.<\/p>\n

If she did, Ms Rayner<\/a> and Mr Streeting<\/a> are expected to run, with possible other candidates including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns.<\/p>\n

\"Wes<\/p>\n

Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham have all been touted as a potential replacement for Sir Keir (PA) (Local Library)<\/p>\n

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband, the Net Zero Secretary, may come under pressure to stand as a unity candidate.<\/p>\n

Mr Burnham is seen by some Labour MPs as the strongest contender but he was blocked by Labour chiefs, including Sir Keir, in his attempt to return to Parliament at the Gorton and Denton by-election.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Angela Rayner launched a devastating attack on Sir Keir Starmer\u2019s Government saying things have to change \u201cnow\u201d. The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":65148,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[126],"tags":[28914,10412,12053,37830,33582,264,385,4766,10415],"class_list":{"0":"post-65147","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-keir-starmer","8":"tag-andy-burnham","9":"tag-angela-rayner","10":"tag-bridget-phillipson","11":"tag-catherine-west","12":"tag-deputy-prime-minister","13":"tag-keir-starmer","14":"tag-labour","15":"tag-sir-keir","16":"tag-wes-streeting"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@people\/116551578089692692","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65147"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65147\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}