Angela Rayner Urges Starmer to Act Faster After Labour's Heavy Election Losses

Angela Rayner called on Sir Keir Starmer to act faster to deliver change, warning that Labour faces its last chance after heavy election losses this week.

In a statement after Labour's poor showing at the polls, the prime minister's former deputy said he needed to meet the moment with bolder action to make people feel better off.

Rayner, viewed as a potential replacement for Sir Keir, supported the return of Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to Westminster after the party blocked his run for Parliament.

She stopped short of launching a leadership challenge, but her comments will increase pressure on Sir Keir ahead of his Monday speech to bolster his position as prime minister.

In her first public remarks since Thursday's elections, Rayner pressed Sir Keir to do more to address inequality and squeezed living standards.

"We are in danger of becoming a party of the well-off, not working people," she said.

"What we are doing isn't working, and it needs to change. This may be our last chance."

The 1,000-word statement urged Labour to give regional mayors greater economic powers, raise the minimum wage and promote new forms of public, community and cooperative ownership across sectors.