Angela Rayner Insists She 'Never' Wants To Be Labour Leader After Leaked Memo

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Angela Rayner has said she “never” wants to be Labour leader.It comes after a memo the deputy prime minister sent to the chancellor Rachel Reeves, calling for eight new tax rises and two benefit changes, was leaked this week.The chancellor did not impose any of those suggestions and went in a radically different direction in her Spring Statement.But the leak – first reported by The Telegraph – has led to speculation that Rayner has her eye on being Labour leader herself.Tory leader Kemi Badenoch even accused Rayner of “being on manoeuvres” within government this week at prime minister’s questions.However, the minister dismissed any such suggestions on Sky News today.Presenter Trevor Phillips put it to the deputy PM that she wanted to show the leadership she would offer, and the memo acted as a “kind of manifesto”.“Absolutely not,” she said. “I don’t want to be leader of the Labour Party. I’m very happy and honoured to be deputy prime minister of this country and I have a lot in my in-tray to prove that I can do the job that I’m doing and deliver on these milestones for this country.”When challenged by Phillips, Rayner then added that she “never” wanted that leadership role.The deputy PM, who is also the housing secretary, played down the impact of her suggestions, too.“I’m not going to discuss conversations or leaks Trevor, because that’s not how we do government,” she said.“What I will say is that it’s not rocket science that the deputy prime minister speaks to the chancellor and talks about fiscal events in the round, or that I will pitch for my department.“I could sit here and say, ‘No it doesn’t happen,’ but do you know what, most of your viewers will know that it’s quite common.“It’s not OK for leaks to happen, because I think that undermines all of us as a team and I don’t think that’s the right thing, I think it’s unfair.”She said that the cabinet do talk as a team, “it’s not a shocker”.Phillips pointed out that in the past, cabinets have not always been so communicative.The minister hit back: “OK, well I can confirm exclusively today that we do.”She said a leak enquiry is underway, and “quite rightly so”, because leaks are “very damaging”.“We have lots of sensitive conversations, in the round, all of us, and then we make a collective decision. We’ve had to tackle some really serious challenges which we took from the Tories,” Rayner said.“It is not OK for individuals, or people around those individuals, to leak. I don’t approve of it at all.”However, she refused to say if she feels like taxes need to go up while ending the cost of living crisis, saying such conversations must happen in private."I don't want to be leader of the Labour Party"Sky's @TrevorPTweets - "Say the word 'never'""Never" - Deputy PM @AngelaRayner#TrevorPhillipshttps://t.co/sdor7jUS9i📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/U2a82osKWG— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 25, 2025Related...Angela Rayner: Our Workers' Rights Package Will Tackle Insecurity And Change BritainAngela Rayner Denies Being 'Aggressive' In Meeting With Grenfell FamiliesAngela Rayner Confirms Grenfell Tower To Be Demolished Despite Backlash

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