Angela Rayner makes leadership pitch at Labour event

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Angela Rayner used a speech on Tuesday night to blast Shabana Mahmood’s plans to restrict indefinite leave to remain as “un-British”. Speaking to left-wing activists, Rayner also claimed Labour is “running out of time” and that its “very survival” is at stake. This sounded like a leadership pitch. Keir Starmer bought himself time earlier this year by sacking his controversial chief of staff, who masterminded much of the government’s policy platform. But backbenchers who thought the recent by-election loss to the Greens would trigger a reset have been disappointed. Roughly 100 have signed a letter to Mahmood condemning her immigration plans. Rayner is one of the frontrunners to challenge Starmer, but is still getting her tax affairs in order after underpaying stamp duty on a flat in Hove.