British PM Starmer's Troubles Grow As His Former No. 2 Mounts Leadership Challenge: Report

Former British Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who resigned earlier this year in connection with a property tax scandal, is laying the groundwork for a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Keir Starmer, according to reports.

Rayner, one of the most prominent figures in Britain’s Labour Party, resigned in September after the PM’s independent ethics adviser concluded she had breached the ministerial code by underpaying the stamp duty on her purchase of an £800,000 (Rs 8.8 crore) seaside flat in Hove, East Sussex by about £40,000 (Rs 48 lakh).

According to a report by The Telegraph, Rayner is already offering Cabinet roles to MPs in exchange for their support. A source familiar with her plans told the UK-based daily that she was “on manoeuvres”

and was “getting her ducks in a row” for a leadership bid.

She has also joined Tribune, a pressure group of MPs on the soft Left of the Labour Party, which can be used as a leadership vehicle for a candidate in the future. Her allies believe she is ready to make a political comeback, with those to the Left of the party favouring her as a leadership candidate over other contenders.

However, a source close to Rayner dismissed the claims as “total rubbish” on Saturday, insisting that she was “focused on representing her local community”. However, the speculation comes amid a renewed buzz of a leadership challenge, as Starmer is under pressure within his own party amid reports of internal tensions.

Starmer Faces The Heat

Starmer has faced months of speculation about a potential leadership challenge, as Labour’s poll numbers continue to slide under his direction. Sources have told The Independent that Health Secretary Wes Streeting has been positioning himself as a possible successor.

Furthermore, Rachel Reeves, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, has walked back on her position on not raising income tax, sparking exasperation among MPs. Labour MP Chris Lewis broke ranks with other party leaders on Friday and publicly called for Starmer to step down.

“The leadership of the party is in complete disarray. If they had three feet they’d have shot all three. They are frightened of their own shadow, they have spooked the markets and they have confused both the Labour Party and the electorate,” a Labour MP told The Telegraph. “There are a lot of Labour MPs worried about their seats and worried about the direction of the Government. So there is constant talk and constant chatter of dissatisfaction.”

Another MP said the government had lost the confidence of a significant part of the Labour Party. However, Starmer’s allies said he would fight any challenge that may come his way to remove him from the chair.

Rayner’s Challenge

Rayner is popular among Labour’s membership, had called out Labour’s “arrogance” shortly after her resignation. “Being around here for the last hour just shows you that tittle-tattle in Westminster almost looks arrogant when you’ve got real challenges that real people are facing, and that’s what we really need to be focusing on,” she said.

By 2024, after Labour’s landslide election win, Rayner was deputy prime minister and housing secretary, effectively making her the second-most powerful person in the government. Her working-class roots and grassroots support led some to see her as a potential successor to Starmer.

Her name was among those floating as Starmer’s political successors. Fresh polling has shown that satisfaction ratings for Starmer continue to be the worst recorded for any prime minister going back to 1977. The figures from Ipsos Mori show that the far-right Reform UK remains the nation’s most popular party.