Rishi Sunak says Diane Abbott decision shows Angela Rayner is really ‘in charge’ of Labour

Published

6 months ago

May 31, 2024

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Rishi Sunak has said the decision to let Diane Abbott stand for Labour at the general election shows it is Sir Keir Starmer’s deputy Angela Rayner who is really “in charge” of the party.

The prime minister said the row involving Ms Abbott – whom Sir Keir has said is now “free” to stand for Labour” – “just reconfirms what we know about Keir Starmer”.

Speaking to reporters from Bury, Mr Sunak said the Labour leader “constantly changes his mind” and added: “It’s clear that Angela Rayner is in charge of his party and not him.”

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Ms Abbott, the first black female MP, was finally given the Labour whip back earlier this week, theoretically paving the way for her to be the party’s choice in her London seat of Hackney North and Stoke Newington.

She was suspended from Labour and forced to sit as an independent in the Commons last year after she suggested Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experience prejudice, but not racism – remarks for which she later apologised.

However, questions remained over her future after The Times reported that she had been barred from standing for Labour again in her seat, which she has held consistently since 1987.

Following persistent questioning over Ms Abbott’s future, Sir Keir then said “no decision” had been taken on whether she would be barred – and that it was ultimately a matter for Labour’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC).

However, Ms Rayner then gave an interview with Sky News in which she said she did not think there was “any reason” why Ms Abbott could not stand as a Labour MP – applying pressure to Sir Keir.

She told political editor Beth Rigby on the Sky News Daily Podcast: “She’s gone through a process, that’s right… she apologised, as far as I’ve seen, that has been dealt with.

“The whip has told her that she’s back as a member of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

“I don’t see any reason why she can’t be a Labour MP.”

Ms Rayner also criticised the original report in The Times, which said Ms Abbott would not be endorsed as Labour’s candidate in Hackney North if she chose to contest the seat.

“What troubles me is these anonymous briefings,” Ms Rayner said.

“Keir absolutely despises them… he doesn’t like anything that looks trashy. He’s not that type of person so I know that he will be as frustrated as I am with these briefings.

“It doesn’t help anyone and it’s very disrespectful to Diane.”

The Labour leader then praised the veteran MP as a “trailblazer” when announcing she would stand again for the party, saying she had “carved a path for other people to come into politics and public life”.

But the Conservatives have seized on suggestions of a rift between Sir Keir and his deputy.

Richard Holden, the Tory chairman, tweeted a picture of the pair taking the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement from 2020.

“What Angela Rayner was actually doing here is now clear; teaching Sir Keir to take the knee to her as Labour’s first female leader,” he claimed on X.

“Fair play to Angela Rayner getting Sir Keir to perform yet another U-turn.”

Mr Sunak also made the same argument, telling reporters: “If he’s given in to Angela Rayner on this, imagine what he’ll give in to when it comes to the union’s demands for higher taxes or indeed weakening our defence and security.”

Ms Abbott has said she would not be making a comment until she is officially endorsed by the party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) next week.

But she told Sky News that “the narrative does look positive”.

Politics

Crypto scam launderer pleads guilty to role in $73M scheme

Published

4 hours ago

November 13, 2024

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Crypto scam launderer pleads guilty to role in M scheme

Daren Li is looking at a maximum of 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to his role in laundering crypto in a $73 million scam.

Politics

NHS league tables and cancelled pay rises for managers among government health reforms

Published

7 hours ago

November 13, 2024

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NHS league tables and cancelled pay rises for managers among government health reforms

NHS league tables revealing failing NHS trusts and cancelled pay rises or dismissal for managers who don’t turn things around are to form part of the government’s plans to improve the health service.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting is confirming new measures he hopes will boost failing hospital trusts and encourage successful ones.

The changes form part of the Labour government’s strategy to reduce waiting lists “from 18 months to 18 weeks”.

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Health and the state of the NHS were consistently among the most important issues for voters at this year’s general election – with Labour blaming the Conservatives for “breaking” it.

As health is a devolved area, any reforms proposed in Westminster would only apply to England.

Chief among Mr Streeting’s proposals is a “league table” for NHS trusts.

An announcement from the Department for Health and Social Care said: “NHS England will carry out a no-holds-barred sweeping review of NHS performance across the entire country, with providers to be placed into a league table.

“This will be made public and regularly updated to ensure leaders, policy-makers and patients know which improvements need to be prioritised.”

It also promises to replace “persistently failing managers” – with “turn around teams” being sent in to improve trusts running sizeable deficits or offering poor service to patients.

The government says “senior managers” who fail to make progress will not be eligible for pay rises.

There will be “financial implications” for more senior figures such as chief executives if their trust does not improve.

On the flip-side, those trusts that are deemed to be “high-performing” will get “greater freedom over funding and flexibility”.

Senior leaders at these trusts will also be “rewarded”.

The government says the current system is not incentivising trusts to run a budget surplus, as they cannot benefit from it.

Mr Streeting said: “The budget showed this government prioritises the NHS, providing the investment needed to rebuild the health service.

“Today we are announcing the reforms to make sure every penny of extra investment is well spent and cuts waiting times for patients.

“There’ll be no more turning a blind eye to failure. We will drive the health service to improve, so patients get more out of it for what taxpayers put in.

“Our health service must attract top talent, be far more transparent to the public who pay for it, and run as efficiently as global businesses.

“With the combination of investment and reform, we will turn the NHS around and cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks.”

Concerns from health representatives

Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England, said: “While NHS leaders welcome accountability, it is critical that responsibility comes with the necessary support and development.

“The extensive package of reforms, developed together with government, will empower all leaders working in the NHS and it will give them the tools they need to provide the best possible services for our patients.”

Further plans on how monitoring will be published by the start of the next financial year in April 2025, the government said.

Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation – a body that represents all NHS trusts – said healthcare leaders welcome the “government’s ambition”.

However, he said he was concerned league tables and reducing pay may “strip out” the nuance of what’s going on.

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Mr Taylor said: “NHS staff are doing their very best for patients under very challenging circumstances and we do not want them feeling like they are being named and shamed.

“League tables in themselves do not lead to improvement, trusts struggling with consistent performance issues – some of which reflect contextual issues such as underlying population heath and staff shortages – need to be identified and supported in order to recover.”