Since being forced to resign as deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner has largely kept any criticisms of the government to herself.
But on Tuesday evening, she let rip. In a jaw-dropping speech to Labour activists of the left-wing Mainstream group, she warned the party had come to be seen to represent “the establishment, not working people” and called for an urgent change of course, adding that it was “running out of time” to deliver for voters.
It was, in essence, Ms Rayner firing the starting pistol in the race to replace Sir Keir Starmer, whose beleaguered premiership has been on the ropes for months.
Ever since Andy Burnham’s hopes of returning to parliament to allow him to become leader were quashed, Ms Rayner has, in effect, been the figure in the background quietly and ominously waiting to pounce.
It is a little ironic that it was the Mainstream group that the Greater Manchester mayor set up himself that has provided the opportunity for Ms Rayner to set out her stall to replace Keir.
With the Labour Party bracing for a devastating set of results from the local and devolved elections in May, there seems to be no way back for Sir Keir, whose authority was effectively killed off with the Peter Mandelson scandal.
The former deputy leader had originally intended to give the speech two days before the Gorton and Denton by-election, where Labour came a humiliating third in what had been their seventh seat, but, according to an ally “did not want to be blamed for the defeat.”
But the speech on Tuesday night was important for Ms Rayner because before she could be reasonably considered as a viable alternative to Sir Keir, she had to do two things.
The first was to deal with the tax affairs issue that forced her to resign, although it is understood they are close to being settled.
But the speech last night dealt with the other issue, which, for Labour members, was perhaps more damaging.
Internal polling carried out by her supporters showed that her reputation had also been damaged by the Starmer project.
She was associated with attempts to cut welfare, the party’s new hardline stance on immigration, a failure to be more critical of Israel and the delay on ending the two-child benefit cap.
While she may have argued against these things behind the scenes, she did not threaten to resign over any of these issues, which have so badly damaged the Starmer premiership.
Instead, she was seen as complicit.
It was important for Ms Rayner to outline who she was as opposed to being part of the Starmer project or, before that, the Jeremy Corbyn project.
An ally told The Independent: “Labour members need to see the authentic Angela Rayner.”
With a call for a more tolerant immigration system and a different approach to the economy, they are getting exactly that.
She had already separated herself from the Mandelson debacle by siding with the Tories to force the publication of papers regarding his ill-advised appointment as ambassador to the US. She had also, via The Independent, made it clear she was unhappy about removing the right to a jury trial.
She had also made a previous speech on the damage being done by Rachel Reeves to the hospitality sector.
In small stages, Ms Rayner is showing what a premiership led by her would look like.
It seems now that only a miracle will save Sir Keir from being removed, but while Ms Rayner has fired the starting gun, the path for her to succeed him is not completely clear.
Rivals, including health secretary Wes Streeting, home secretary Shabana Mahmood and energy secretary Ed Miliband, may have their own designs on the leadership.
But Ms Rayner has now ensured that a contest to succeed Sir Keir is highly likely in May.
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