Labour not taking left-wing voters for granted, says Angela Rayner

Labour is not taking left-wing voters for granted, the party’s deputy leader has said, after criticism of its policy offer.

Angela Rayner insisted that Labour would provide an alternative to the Conservative Party on issues such as workers’ rights.

It follows recent criticism that, under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, the party has sidelined left-wing candidates seeking to contest the next election for Labour.

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell claimed this week that the Labour leadership was attempting to “destroy” the left of the party, while Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, accused it of conducting a “purge”.

Mr Lynch told ITV’s Peston programme that his union, which is not affiliated to Labour, would be lobbying to ensure a Starmer government was not “a bland version of the Tory party”.

Ms Rayner, facing a question from an LBC caller who expressed concern about an alleged “flirtation with the right” by Sir Keir, said: “No, we’re not taking your vote for granted or your despising of the Tories.

“Actually, there is quite a lot of people, even people who voted Tory, who are, shall we say, less than impressed with the Conservatives at the moment.

“And we are not relying on anyone to then just use that to say, ‘Well, we’ll vote Labour’.

“I think we’ve got a very inspirational plan.”

Sir Keir’s deputy pointed to her future-of-work plan — designed to boost job security and end fire-and-rehire practices — and Labour’s house-building programme as signs of the party’s commitment to working people.

She said the party could not be “everything to all people” and it would have to be “pragmatic” if voters put Labour into power for the first time in almost 20 years.

“We have to be clear about what we inherit if we’re lucky enough to get elected — a very difficult economic situation – so we can’t do everything we want to do immediately, but I can promise we will change Britain for the better,” Ms Rayner said during the radio call-in.

Sir Keir was interrupted during a key speech on Thursday by protesters accusing him of scaling back plans to borrow £28 billion a year to invest in green jobs and industry.

He has had to defend binning a number of his party leadership pledges, including his promise to scrap tuition fees and watering down a commitment to nationalise public services.

Sir Keir, asked by ITV News whether Mr McDonnell’s suggestion that the Labour right had become “drunk with power” was correct, said: “No he’s not.

“I’m single minded about the Labour Party going into power, into government.

“I’ve been in Parliament now for… eight years in Opposition and all that happens in Opposition is you oppose, you don’t change.

“The Labour Party was founded for one single purpose, to form governments to change things for the better for working people. We lost sight of that in the last few years.”

Ms Rayner told LBC it remains Labour policy to bring the railways under central government control if it wins power.

The former care worker also branded a group of right-wing Tories “idiots” for proposing curbs to a scheme allowing migrant workers to fill social care vacancies.

In 2021/22, the care sector recorded 165,000 unfilled vacancies.

The New Conservatives group, made up of MPs elected since the Brexit referendum, published a report on Monday recommending that ministers close temporary visa schemes for care workers as part of a wider bid to cut net migration levels, which stood at more than 600,000 last year.

Asked about the proposal, which has been backed by Tory party vice-chairman Lee Anderson, Ms Rayner said: “I think it is complete nuts.

“I think they have absolutely no idea, haven’t got a Scooby-Doo (clue), about what actually happens on the front line of our care sector, our NHS and most of our public services, the key workers that we have every single day who are from all different walks of life, who keep us going.

“I think idiots that go round saying that we don’t need them in our care sector need to get (out of) their ivory tower and get out there and see what is happening on the ground.”