Angela Rayner

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The Right Honourable

Angela Rayner

MP
Official portrait of Angela Rayner MP crop 2.jpg
Official portrait, 2019
Shadow First Secretary of State
Deputy Leader of the Opposition[a]
Assumed office
9 April 2020
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byEmily Thornberry
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
Assumed office
4 April 2020
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byTom Watson (2019)
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office
Assumed office
9 May 2021
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byRachel Reeves
Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work
Assumed office
9 May 2021
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byOffice established
Frontbench posts
2016–2021
Chair of the Labour Party
In office
5 April 2020 – 8 May 2021
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byIan Lavery
Succeeded byAnneliese Dodds
Labour Party National Campaign Coordinator
In office
5 April 2020 – 8 May 2021
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byIan Lavery
Andrew Gwynne
Succeeded byShabana Mahmood
Shadow Secretary of State for Education
In office
1 July 2016 – 5 April 2020
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byPat Glass
Succeeded byRebecca Long-Bailey
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
In office
27 June 2016 – 6 October 2016
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byKate Green
Succeeded bySarah Champion
Shadow Minister for Pensions
In office
11 January 2016 – 1 July 2016
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byNick Thomas-Symonds
Succeeded byAlex Cunningham
Member of Parliament
for Ashton-under-Lyne
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byDavid Heyes
Majority4,263 (11.1%)
Personal details
Born
Angela Bowen

(1980-03-28) 28 March 1980 (age 41)
Stockport, Greater Manchester, England
Political partyLabour
Spouse(s)
Mark Rayner
​
(m. 2010)​
Children3
Websitewww.angelarayner.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata

Angela Rayner (née Bowen; born 28 March 1980) is a British politician serving as Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work since 2021 and Shadow First Secretary of State, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. She has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashton-under-Lyne since 2015. She ideologically identifies as a socialist and as being part of Labour's soft left.

Rayner was born in Stockport, where she attended the state secondary Avondale School. She left school aged 16 whilst pregnant and without any qualifications. She later trained in social care, eventually becoming a trade union representative within Unison, during which time she joined the Labour Party. Selected to contest Ashton-under-Lyne in 2014, Rayner was elected for the seat at the 2015 general election.

In January 2016, Rayner was appointed as Shadow Minister for Pensions by Jeremy Corbyn and was promoted later in 2016 to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities. As Shadow Education Secretary, she proposed the creation of a National Education Service (NES) modelled on the National Health Service (NHS). She endorsed Rebecca Long-Bailey in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election, who came second to Keir Starmer, and instead successfully stood for the deputy leadership, after which she was appointed as party chair and national campaign coordinator. She was removed from these roles in a reshuffle following Labour's poor performance at the 2021 local elections, subsequently being appointed as Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work.

Early life and career[]

Rayner was born on 28 March 1980 in Stockport, Greater Manchester.[2] She attended Avondale School in Stockport, leaving the school aged 16 after becoming pregnant, and did not obtain any qualifications.[3][4] She later studied part-time at Stockport College, learning British Sign Language, and gaining an NVQ Level 2 in social care.[2][5]

After leaving college, Rayner worked for Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council as a care worker for a number of years. During this time, she was also elected as a trade union representative for Unison.[6] She was later elected as convenor of Unison North West, becoming the union's most senior official in the region.[7][8] The Guardian featured a lengthy profile of Rayner in 2012, as part of an article on a trade union officer's working life.[9]

Member of Parliament[]

Official portrait, 2017

In September 2014, Rayner was selected as Labour's candidate for Ashton-under-Lyne, on the retirement of David Heyes. She won the seat at the 2015 general election, increasing the Labour majority and its share of the vote.[10][11] She delivered her maiden speech on 3 June 2015.

Rayner nominated Andy Burnham in the 2015 Labour leadership election, but was one of just 18 Members of Parliament (MP) to back the incumbent Jeremy Corbyn against Owen Smith in the 2016 leadership election.[12]

On 1 July 2016, after a series of resignations from the Shadow Cabinet, Corbyn appointed Rayner as Shadow Secretary of State for Education.[7][13] She supported the notion of a 'National Education Service' to be modelled along similar lines to the National Health Service, also promoting an increase in funding for early years education.[14] She was considered by some as a possible future Labour leader.[15][16]

In the 2019 general election, Rayner was returned as Member of Parliament for the third time in 5 years. She did not stand for the Labour leadership in the 2020 leadership election, supporting her flatmate Rebecca Long-Bailey, who came second to Keir Starmer. She stood successfully for Deputy Leader, elected on 4 April 2020, replacing Tom Watson. She was appointed Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Shadow First Secretary of State and Chair of the Labour Party in the following days.[17][18][19] In October 2020 Rayner called Greater Manchester Conservative MP Chris Clarkson 'scum' as he was giving a speech in Parliament.[20] She later apologised.[21][22]

Rayner was sworn to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom on 12 February 2021.[23]

Rayner was removed from her roles as the Labour Party's chair and national campaign coordinator in a reshuffle by Keir Starmer on 8 May 2021, following the 2021 local elections.[24][25] Rayner was subsequently appointed as Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work.

In May 2021, Rayner was the subject of BBC Radio 4's weekly Profile programme.[26]

Political views[]

Rayner speaking at the 2020 Labour Party deputy leadership election hustings in Bristol

Rayner identifies as a socialist.[27][28] In a 2017 interview to The Guardian discussing her political beliefs, Rayner highlighted her pragmatism, describing herself as being part of the "soft left" of the Labour Party.[15] She has strongly criticised former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, as he "did not command the respect of the party", and critiqued his lack of "discipline" when it came to dealing with allegations of antisemitism.[29]

Rayner is an ardent supporter of Palestinian rights, condemning the killings of Palestinians during the Great March of Return and has repeatedly cited Israeli violations of human rights against Palestinians on social media. She is also a member of the Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East.[30]

Personal life[]

In 2010, she married Mark Rayner, a Unison official.[2] She has three sons, the first born when she was aged 16.[3] Her second son Charlie was born prematurely at 23 weeks and Rayner says that the care that her son received demonstrated the importance of the NHS to her.[8][31] Rayner lives in her constituency of Ashton-under-Lyne with her family. She became a grandmother in November 2017.[32]

In an interview with Evan Davis of the BBC in 2018, Rayner said that her mother had been unable to read or write; a repeat of part of a tribute she made to her mother in 2016.[33]

In March 2019, Rayner said that she had fitted panic buttons at her home after rape and death threats were sent to her a few weeks earlier.[34]

In March 2020, Rayner said she had suffered symptoms of COVID-19.[35]

Notes[]

  1. ^ The Labour Party lists Rayner as Shadow First Secretary of State but not Deputy Leader of the Opposition.[1] However, parliament.uk and TheyWorkForYou list Rayner as Deputy Leader of the Opposition but not Shadow First Secretary of State.

References[]

  1. ^ "Keir Starmer appoints Labour frontbench". The Labour Party. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c 'RAYNER, Angela', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016 accessed 5 October 2017
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Not bad for a ginger kid!". Oldham Chronicle. 11 November 2014. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  4. ^ Teen mum turned Labour MP: Why Angela Rayner should have the Tories running scared Archived 30 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Telegraph, 29 September 2016
  5. ^ Rayner, Angela (12 November 2019). "Education Gave Me A Vital Second Chance That Too Many People Still Don't Get". HuffPost UK.
  6. ^ "Joining a trade union". GOV.UK. 15 December 2014. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Exclusive: Angela Rayner becomes third shadow education secretary in a week". Schools Week. 1 July 2016. Archived from the original on 11 July 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Fitzgerald, Todd (7 August 2015). "Commons vow by new Ashton MP Angela Rayner who was told she'd amount to nothing". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  9. ^ "A working life: the Union Official". The Guardian. 17 February 2012. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017.
  10. ^ "New Labour candidate: We need real people with life experience to bring common sense to Parliament". Manchester Evening News. 8 September 2014. Archived from the original on 15 September 2014.
  11. ^ "Ashton-under-Lyne". BBC News Online. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015.
  12. ^ Pine, Sarah (27 June 2016). "Corbyn addresses crowd of up to 10,000 on eve of confidence vote". LabourList. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  13. ^ England's schools face 'severe' teacher shortage Archived 30 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine BBC News. 20 August 2018
  14. ^ "Labour to outline plans for National Education Service and 'cradle to grave' learning". 26 September 2017. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b Moss, Stephen (28 July 2017). "Labour's Angela Rayner: 'I'm proper working-class and Jeremy Kyle'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  16. ^ "The irresistible rise of Angela Rayner". www.newstatesman.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017.
  17. ^ "Angela Rayner MP". UK Parliament. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Keir Starmer announces senior Shadow Cabinet appointments". The Labour Party. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Keir Starmer appoints Labour frontbench". labour.org.uk. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  20. ^ "Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner under fire for 'calling a Tory MP scum'". The Independent. 21 October 2020.
  21. ^ "Angela Rayner apologises for 'scum' remark in Commons". BBC News. 21 October 2020.
  22. ^ Murphy, Simon (21 October 2020). "Angela Rayner apologises for calling Tory MP 'scum' in Commons". The Guardian.
  23. ^ "Privy Council appointments: 12 February 2021". GOV.UK. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  24. ^ "Angela Rayner sacked as Labour Party chair by Sir Keir Starmer, Sky News understands". Sky News. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  25. ^ Bush, Stephen (8 May 2021). "Keir Starmer's sacking of Angela Rayner is self-destructive, stupid and wrong". New Statesman. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  26. ^ Presenter: Mark Coles; Researcher: Stefania Okereke; Producer: Paul Connolly; Editors: Richard Vadon and Alex Lewis (15 May 2021). "Angela Rayner". Profile. BBC. BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  27. ^ Moss, Stephen (28 July 2017). "Labour's Angela Rayner: 'Ideology never put food on my table'". The Guardian.
  28. ^ Proctor, Kate (6 January 2020). "Angela Rayner: I'm a socialist but not a 'Corbynite'".
  29. ^ Mason, Rowena (24 February 2020). "Angela Rayner: Corbyn did not command respect from Labour". The Guardian.
  30. ^ Birawi, Zaher; Andrews, Robert (14 April 2020). "Keir Starmer as Labour Party leader: What this means for Palestine". Middle East Monitor. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  31. ^ "UK unions blast Education Secretary over controversial reforms". Equal Times. 30 April 2013. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015.
  32. ^ "Grangela: Labour's Angela Rayner is grandmother at 37". BBC News. 22 November 2017. Archived from the original on 22 November 2017.
  33. ^ "Labour MP Angela Rayner's tribute to her 'inspirational' mother". inews.co.uk. 24 September 2016. Archived from the original on 25 September 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  34. ^ Sabbagh, Dan (4 March 2019). "Angela Rayner has panic buttons fitted after online threats". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  35. ^ "North West MP Angela Rayner says she is self-isolating". ITV News. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.

External links[]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
David Heyes 		Member of Parliament for Ashton-under-Lyne
2015–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Pat Glass 		Shadow Secretary of State for Education
2016–2020 		Succeeded by
Rebecca Long-Bailey
Preceded by
Tom Watson 		Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
2020–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by
Emily Thornberry 		Shadow First Secretary of State
2020–present
Preceded by
Rachel Reeves 		Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
2021–present
Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office
2021–present
Party political offices
Preceded by
Ian Lavery 		Chair of the Labour Party
2020–2021 		Succeeded by
Anneliese Dodds
Retrieved from ""