June 7th 2024.
According to recent polls, there is a strong chance that Angela Rayner could become the next Deputy Prime Minister. Tonight, she will be facing off against Penny Mordaunt in a BBC election debate. As the deputy leader of the Labour Party and the Leader of the House of Commons, they are expected to discuss various issues that are important to the UK electorate before the upcoming election on July 4th. Along with other panelists such as Daisy Cooper for the Liberal Democrats and Nigel Farage representing Reform UK, they will also be joined by Stephen Flynn for the Scottish National Party, Carla Denyer co-leading for the Green Party, and Rhun ap Iorwerth leading for Plaid Cymru.
But all eyes will be on Angela Rayner, as she could potentially become the next Deputy Prime Minister if the polls are correct. So, who exactly is Angela Rayner? Let's take a closer look.
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Now, back to Angela Rayner. She is currently the deputy leader of the Labour Party, as well as the shadow deputy prime minister and the shadow secretary for levelling up. She has been the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester since 2015 and identifies as a socialist on the soft left of the party. Her rise through the ranks of the Labour party has been quite rapid.
Rayner was born and raised on a council estate in Stockport and left school at the young age of 16, pregnant and without any qualifications. After attending a local FE college, she trained in social care and eventually became a social worker, providing one-on-one care to elderly people in their homes. It was during this time that she was nominated by her colleagues to speak for them as a union rep for Unison. She also joined the Labour party, and soon became the most senior elected official of Unison in the north west of England. In 2015, she made history by becoming the first woman MP for Ashton-under-Lyne in its 100-year history. She went on to hold various positions within the shadow cabinet, including shadow pensions minister and shadow education secretary, before being elected as deputy leader of the Labour Party in March 2020.
As for her constituency, Angela Rayner has been an MP for Ashton-under-Lyne since 2015. The area has a population of 68,553 and was once a hub for textile production and manufacturing, like much of Greater Manchester. Incomes and house prices in this constituency are lower than the UK average, and it has been under Labour control since 1931.
In 2010, Rayner married Mark Rayner, with whom she has two sons, Charlie and Jimmy. She also has a son, Ryan, from a previous relationship. Sadly, her marriage ended in 2020. She currently resides in her constituency and became a grandmother at the age of 37 when her youngest son had a baby daughter. While there were rumors of a relationship between Rayner and Labour MP Sam Tarry, she confirmed that they had split up in 2023.
One of the controversies surrounding Rayner was the issue of her former council house in Stockport. It was alleged in an unauthorized biography written by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft that she sold the house for a profit of £48,500 without paying any Capital Gains Tax. However, after an investigation, police confirmed that they would not be pursuing any action, as council tax and personal tax fall outside of their jurisdiction. The case was referred to HMRC and Stockport Council, but they also concluded that there was no tax owed.
For those interested in watching the debate between Rayner and Mordaunt, it will be broadcasted on BBC One and BBC News tonight at 7:30pm to 9pm. Presented by Mishal Hussain, the audience will also have the opportunity to ask the panelists questions, and each participant will have 30 seconds for their closing statements. So, stay tuned and get ready to hear from these two influential women in British politics.
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