Sir Keir Starmer has said the “hugely talented” Angela Rayner will make a comeback to his cabinet as he slammed “misogynistic” criticism of her.
Ms Rayner resigned as deputy prime minister, housing secretary and deputy Labour leader in September after an investigation found she had underpaid stamp duty on her seaside flat in Hove.
In an interview with The Observer on Sunday, the prime minister said that he missed Ms Rayner and described her as “the best social mobility story this country has ever seen”.
It comes as speculation grows that she could run on a joint ticket with health secretary Wes Streeting to challenge the prime minister for the Labour leadership amid concern over the direction of the government and its devastating approval ratings.
When asked if he missed his former deputy, Sir Keir said: “Yes, of course I do. I was really sad that we lost her. As I said to her at the time, she’s going to be a major voice in the Labour movement.”
Pressed as to whether she will be back in the cabinet, he added: “Yes. She’s hugely talented.”
Asked about claims Ms Rayner could return to the front bench, cabinet minister Pat McFadden told Sky News: “I think Angela Rayner is great. I would welcome it, but this is a decision for the prime minister.”
Pressed again on whether she might return, he said: “I think she’s an enormous talent. I’m a great admirer of Angela, but that question is up to the PM.”
No 10 was forced to knock down reports that the former deputy PM had been offered the job of education secretary in order to stave off a leadership bid, saying the claims were “highly speculative”.
Sources had told the Daily Mail she was resisting the offer in order to prepare her own bid for Downing Street.
And in a damning sign of the mood music in the Parliamentary Labour Party, The Times reported on Sunday that Labour MPs are referring to Sir Keir as a “caretaker prime minister”.
Sir Keir also hit out at the “misogyny” he said had played a part in the level of criticism she and chancellor Rachel Reeves have received in recent months.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch argued during Prime Minister’s Questions last month that any return for Ms Rayner should be on the condition that “she must pay back the £40,000 of property taxes she avoided”.
Earlier this week, a source close to the former deputy prime minister said she will “not be played like a pawn” after reports of a deal for Ms Rayner and Mr Streeting to run for the Labour leadership.
The source said “there is no vacancy and there is no pact”, after The Telegraph reported that allies of Mr Streeting were pressing Ms Rayner to sign up to a “joint ticket” for the top job.
Allies of Ms Rayner have previously slammed “false” claims that she is eyeing up a Labour leadership bid, with the ex-deputy PM insisting she has “not gone away” when asked about a return to frontline politics.
In a wide-ranging interview, Sir Keir also insisted that he had no intention of stepping aside before the next election.
He said: “When I took over the Labour Party, everyone said to me, ‘you’re not going to be able to change the party’. We ignored that and carried on.
“Then they said to me, ‘you’re not going to be able to win an election’. We got a landslide Labour victory. Now, 17 months into a five-year Labour term, they say ‘you’re not able to change the country’.
“Every time we’ve been in this position, we’ve defied them. And that’s what I intend to do.”
Ms Rayner’s office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
Reeves’ cut in energy bills will be nuked by Sizewell costs, ex-Labour donor claims
Three-year-old girl among those treated after ‘pepper spray’ attack at Heathrow
Former teacher praises Lando Norris after ex-student becomes F1 world champion
Water boss should not resign as problem ‘far wider than individual people’
Your Party ‘could team up with Greens to keep Farage out’
Police ‘apologise to Jewish community’ over Tel Aviv fan ban claim
