Rayner insists 'tweaks' won’t fix fundamental issues facing Britain - as 52 MPs and counting call on Starmer to quit
The former Deputy PM insisted Labour needs to fix the foundations of a system that is rigged against them, because we know that things can be so much better than this.
Angela Rayner has insisted that “tweaks” alone are not enough to fix the fundamental challenges facing the country - after 52 Labour MPs called for Starmer's resignation.
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A strengthening chorus of voices called on the PM to step down on Monday, a campaign spearheaded by Labour MP Catherine West.
Recent hours had seen the MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet insist his speech was “too little too late” - as she called on Starmer to set out a leadership election timetable which would culminate in September.
Earlier in the day, the PM delivered a make or break speech, vowed to prove his “doubters” wrong as he fought back against calls for him to quit.
Despite his defiance, rumblings of a potential rebellion continue to grow as allies of Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham joined a growing chorus of voices.
Speaking from the Communication Workers Union (CWU) conference on Monday, Angela Rayner insisted her party “must now live up to its name” in the wake of widespread in-fighting following Labour's local electoral collapse.
It comes as the former deputy Prime Minister admitted it was a mistake to block Andy Burnham’s bid for the Labour leadership last month, urging her party to change course in the wake of dismal results.
Starmer's crunch speech saw the Prime Minister vow not to ‘walk away', insisting his party would “be better and do better” as he took responsibility for Labour’s electoral mauling across England and Wales.
However, within hours, former deputy Labour Party leader Angela Rayner admitted it was a mistake to block Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from running as an MP.
Insisting Burnham “should never have been blocked” from seeking a seat in the Commons, after he failed to get approval from Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
In her speech, she said: “I don’t need to be persuaded that tweaks won’t fix the fundamental challenges that our country faces.
“This Government needs – at pace – to put measures in place that makes people’s lives better. We need to fix the foundations of a system that is rigged against them, because we know that things can be so much better than this.
She added: “Populists and nationalists are not parties for the working class. It is only Labour that can protect you at work, rebuild our estates, make sure that we have the council homes that we need, end no fault evictions, bring down waiting lists, and feed our kids.”
The latest in the growing list of MPs to voice concerns over Starmer's leadership, MP David Smith was seen to wait until after Starmer's crunch speech to call on. the PM to resign.
The Prime Minister’s speech on Monday comes after a weekend of speculation about potential leadership challenges, with former minister Catherine West suggesting she would launch an attempt to topple Sir Keir if a Cabinet member did not step forward instead.
Sir Keir said he would fight any leadership challenge, saying he would not “walk away”.
However, he refused to go as far as endorsing an attempt by the Greater Manchester Mayor to return to Parliament.
“The Prime Minister (Sir Keir Starmer) today acknowledged the frustration that was expressed last week.
“But we will be judged on actions and not just our words.
“I’m proud of our Labour values but they’re not enough if we do not have a plan to put them into practice. It’s no good acknowledging the mistakes if they’re not put right.
“So let me be honest conference, we as the party have to do better than this and we can only prove we mean our Labour values by putting the common interest ahead of factionalism.
“And we can start by accepting that Andy Burnham should never have been blocked – it was a mistake that the leadership of our party should put right.”