Angela Rayner says she ‘never’ wants to be Prime Minister or Labour leaderDeputy Prime Minister distances herself from leaked memo proposing tax rises and firmly denies leadership ambitions
Angela Rayner has unequivocally stated that she has no intention of becoming Prime Minister or leading the Labour Party, following a leaked memo in which she suggested potential tax increases to Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
The Deputy Prime Minister, speaking on Sky News’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, insisted she was not behind the leak of the internal policy paper, which was sent to the Chancellor and reportedly proposed reintroducing the pensions lifetime allowance and altering dividend tax rules as ways of raising government revenue.
The leak, first reported by The Telegraph, prompted speculation that Ms Rayner may be positioning herself for a future leadership bid. However, the Ashton-under-Lyne MP dismissed such claims in the strongest terms.
When asked if she was behind the leak, she replied firmly: “Yeah, absolutely not, and I don’t want to be leader of the Labour Party.”
Pressed further, she added: “No, I’m very happy and honoured to be Deputy Prime Minister of this country, and I’ve got a lot in my in-tray to prove that I can do the job that I’m doing and deliver on the milestones for the people of this country. That’s what I’m interested in.”
Asked to state outright that she would never seek the top job, she simply replied: “Never.”
Ms Rayner’s comments were later echoed in an appearance on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on the BBC, where she again insisted that she had nothing to do with the document’s appearance in the press.
“I do not leak. I think leaks are very damaging. I’m 100% behind our Cabinet and the decisions that we make collectively,” she said.
She sought to downplay any perception of division at the top of government, insisting there were no major policy disagreements. “The Government has discussions. We do that in private,” she said. “So I’m not going to comment on any memos or documents that have been circulated, but I can tell you that the Government is absolutely 100% behind our Chancellor, and as a Cabinet we make the collective decisions.”
The leaked memo appeared to suggest Rayner was supportive of raising certain taxes, an area where Labour has trodden carefully to avoid Tory attacks that it plans a return to high-tax policies. The party leadership has been clear that it will not raise income tax, National Insurance, or VAT, and has tried to present a cautious and fiscally responsible image.
While Labour has defended its broader policy discussions as part of responsible governance, the leak has nonetheless proved politically awkward, not least because it highlights internal debate during the party’s efforts to maintain a united front in government.
Ms Rayner confirmed that an investigation into the source of the leak may already be under way, telling Sky News: “I think there’s one under way, and quite rightly so, because leaks are very damaging.”
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“It’s really damaging,” she continued, “because we have lots of sensitive conversations in the round, all of us, and then we make a collective decision.”
Her intervention appears designed to draw a line under growing speculation about her political ambitions and the origins of the leaked memo. The episode, however, has served as a reminder of the delicate balancing act Labour faces as it moves from opposition into government – especially with key figures like Rayner, known for her candid style and working-class roots, occupying central positions of power.
With questions now being asked not only about the party’s internal cohesion but also its communications discipline, the inquiry into the leak is likely to be watched closely. Whether it reveals anything conclusive remains to be seen, but for now, Ms Rayner’s position is clear: she is not after Keir Starmer’s job – and she says she never will be.
