Well, well, well. Angela Rayner may have left the government some weeks ago but the mark she made in one of the highest offices in the country has not been forgotten. A deputy leadership race is rumbling on in the background with both Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell trying to figure out how they can replicate Ange’s charm – and now Health Secretary Wes Streeting has used his conference speech to call for her return.
Addressing the party conference today, Streeting paid tribute to his former Cabinet colleague. As he announced a new fair pay guarantee, he told members:
There’s someone else who’s made a real difference too, who understands the struggle care workers face because she was one. She brought that experience to the Cabinet table as the care worker who became our country’s deputy prime minister. Angela Rayner, this achievement is yours. Thank you.
After the applause subsided, he added:
We’ll definitely make sure she sees that. We need her back.
How curious…
Rayner was forced to resign over her tax affairs – and her move prompted a full scale government reshuffle. But while her credibility was shot temporarily over the scandal, there remain a number in government who expect to see her make a return down the line. Stay tuned…
Comments