The firm denial from DPM Rayner comes amid renewed scrutiny following the leak of a policy memo she authored earlier this year.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has emphatically ruled out any ambition to lead the Labour Party, dismissing speculation that she is positioning herself to replace Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
In interviews across multiple broadcasters on Sunday, Rayner made clear she had no intention of seeking the party’s top job — now or in the future. “I do not want to run for leader of the Labour Party. I rule it out,” she told the BBC. When pressed on Sky News to confirm she would never run, Rayner replied: “Never.”
The firm denial comes amid renewed scrutiny following the leak of a policy memo she authored earlier this year. The document, which was shared with the Telegraph, contained proposals for wealth taxes and restrictions on welfare access for legal migrants. Critics inside Labour accused Rayner of undercutting Starmer at a politically delicate time, but her allies insist the suggestions were part of routine pre-Budget policy discussions and not an attempt to overshadow the party leader.
Rayner confirmed that an inquiry is under way to trace the source of the leak, calling it “quite right” given the sensitivity of internal policy debates. “Leaks are very damaging,” she said.
Sources close to Rayner have denied she played any role in leaking the memo and stressed her commitment to collective cabinet responsibility. “I’m absolutely focused on working with the Prime Minister and the cabinet. This is the honour of my life,” she said.
Rayner confirmed that an inquiry is under way to trace the source of the leak, calling it “quite right” given the sensitivity of internal policy debates. “Leaks are very damaging,” she said. “We have lots of sensitive conversations in the round, and then we make a collective decision.”
In the memo, written in March ahead of the spring statement, Rayner suggested a range of revenue-raising measures, including freezing the 45p income tax rate, reinstating the pensions lifetime allowance, and raising corporation tax for banks. Other proposals included increasing dividend tax for top earners and closing stamp duty loopholes exploited by property investors using corporate structures.
On migration, the deputy prime minister and housing secretary recommended restricting recently arrived legal migrants’ access to pensions and benefits and reviewing NHS charges for newcomers.
While some in the party interpreted the memo as an implicit critique of Starmer’s cautious stance on tax and welfare, Rayner’s public comments have been squarely loyal. She reiterated her focus on delivering the government’s agenda: cutting the cost of living, tackling child poverty, building homes, and strengthening border security.
