Times article suggesting Rayner is a shoo-in for PM within months - please god no

[teawamutu]

Hopefully this link will work:
https://www.thetimes.com/article/27184a3f-e513-49a6-871d-bc8c71fa7804?shareToken=1740daa659156e3945fd8e025dbf6d22

She signed every anti-women motion. She said she'd save a bench in the Commons for Liam/’Lily' fucking Madigan. She's pointlessly fighty and I'd bet perfectly happy to try to change the Equality Act. At the very least she'd allow FWS to be undermined.

Talk me down and explain why this either won't happen or won't be a disaster, wise FWRers, please!

Starmer needs to stop being so wet and stop trying to head off leadership threats with appeasement and actually deal with politicians who undermine the law or say/do stupid shit that reflects badly on this country. See also David Lammy!

There will be a fight with Streeting's followers in the country.

<darts off to look for Intel lady’s skit on this>

It won’t happen because the markets would react in a way to collapse it.

I did think the unions would support the Your Party lot but I think the chaos there has meant they know they shouldn't.

Her background is interesting.

Wiki
Her mother's bipolar disorder impacted the family; Rayner has stated: "When I was young, we didn't have books because my mother could not read or write."[5] Her website describes how, "[f]or the most part, I was raised by my grandma who worked at three jobs to put food on the table and didn't stop until the day she died – three days before her 65th birthday."[6]

https://www.lordashcroft.com/2024/03/angela-my-little-shadow-were-all-familiar-with-the-story-of-the-red-queens-tough-upbringing/
What Rayner may not have realised as she sat her GCSEs was that she was in the very early stages of pregnancy. The father of her child was Neil Batty, a car valet three years her senior, who’d apparently met her in a nightclub. Rayner says her father threw her out when he discovered she was pregnant. But when she gave birth to her first son, Ryan Batty, in February 1997, her parents’ house was given as her ‘usual address’ on the birth certificate, as was her grandmother Jean’s address.

Shabana Mahmood is a good bet too...though the problem with both her and Streeting is that they are seen as being too right wing by the majority of their backbenchers, and by the unions, and it is they that have the casting vote.

Raynor would be disastrous for the Labour party's chances, certainly if it hopes to gain some ground between now and the next election.

Rayner could be such an outstanding, admirable example of a woman politician who overcame so many challenges and difficulties, and uses those experiences to stand up for women now she's a successful politician.

It's impossible not to admire the strength and drive of women like her who didn't have an easy start in life - another example is the joint First Minister of NI, Michelle O'Neill, pregnant at the age of 16 which still at school, but determined to pursue her goals anyway.

However, where they go with that admirable drive to overcome early challenges is another matter altogether😒

Lovely article from tax fugitive Ashcroft who bankrolls the Tory Party. Or is he back from Belize now? Hard to see Rayner taking the job now though. Ed Miliband seems to be universally loved. Though he ruled himself out before. Hard to know about Streeting....sex realist or opportunist. Lucy Powell?

Andy Burnham? Assuming Clive Lewis follows through, is there a rule about how long potential leaders have to have been MPs for?

I loathe AR, and SM I’m afraid. Don’t mind Wes and love Andy. Hate that either would mean Labour continues to have only had white male leaders.

Well I can’t see her cutting benefits which is needed

Lucy Powell fully TWAW. As is Burnham. Miliband I've no idea which suggests he's at best playing along with it all.

Great point about Ashcroft though.

I’d take Angela Rayner over Lucy Powell. Not a high bar, I know but I think Rayner is slightly less of an idiot.

I don’t think any of these options are going to work. Either too left for the markets or too right for the back benchers.

Although Starmer might not last either.

You'd have to limbo under that bar. But agree I guess.

I thought it was interesting, I hadn't heard about her background before. She has my sympathy for what sounds like a very difficult start in many, many ways.

She doesn't strike me as PM material in any way, though. Too volatile, and headstrong.

Where is David Milliband these days? I always rated him over Ed.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/37333253/keir-starmer-ed-balls-david-miliband/

🤔

A woman leading the Labour Party, and pink snow for Christmas. 🤪

Tittle tattle, nothing else. Let's see how badly Labour do in the Scottish, Welsh and other elections next May.

Exactly. I'm no fan of Sir Keir, but we need to be careful what we wish for..... Angela Rayner would just be an embarrassment for us as a nation.

I'm hoping this is a bit of mischief making and its not a serious proposition. As a back bencher AR is fine - as a PM she would be an embarassment. It really would be a low for the UK.

Who would please the markets though? Perhaps Labour can recruit someone they'd like. Nadine Dorries, Priti Patel? Liz Truss! Don't laugh , remember Nigel Farage said her budget was the best since 1986. That should seal the deal.

Given how much the Mail guns for her I can’t see her becoming leader.

Burnham would still have to win the by election and I could imagine voters rejecting him as they do not want to be part of that cozy stitch up.

Also not sure how the self styled King of the North would go down in Norfolk

I am no fan of Starmer but he should stand his ground and point out that he lead the party to an election victory. Following the Tory Party policy of ditching the leader while in office is likely to end up with the same results and that would be less impressive leaders who have less authority.

Agree with much of what you say, OP.

But I take the view that she will help accelerate the demise of this wretched government. Premised on which, bring on the tax-evading Rayner…