
Deputy PM Angela Rayner: ‘I don't want to be leader of the Labour Party'
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has quashed rumours that she is vying to become leader of the Labour Party, saying she has 'no desire' to take on the role.
It follows speculation about a potential leadership challenge after the leak of a memo outlining apparent tax rise plans, alongside media briefings suggesting she could be demoted.
In an interview with Trevor Phillips on Sunday (25 May), the deputy leader said she is 'honoured' to hold her current role and is not interested in becoming leader.
Asked whether she could rule out ever becoming leader, she replied: 'Never.'
Rayner also indicated that an inquiry is 'underway' into how the memo addressed to Chancellor Rachel Reeves was leaked.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
33 minutes ago
- The Independent
Elizabeth Warren claims Musk enriched himself to the tune of $100B during his time in the White House
Senator Elizabeth Warren has accused Elon Musk of using his role in the Donald Trump administration to increase his net worth by $100 billion, issuing a report that cites more than 100 instances in which he might have benefited financially from his position. The world's richest man's 130-day tenure as a special government employee came to an end on Friday, drawing a line under a chaotic four months in which he led DOGE in its mission to cut excess spending, waste, and fraud and oversaw the mass firing of tens of thousands of federal employees. Senator Warren has greeted his departure from the political scene with the publication of a new report alleging large-scale profiteering during his time in Washington, entitled: Special Interests Over the Public Interest: Elon Musk's 130 Days in the Trump Administration. 'Before Trump took office, Musk's companies faced at least $2.37bn in potential liability from pending agency enforcement actions,' her report states. 'Now many of those enforcement actions have stalled or been dismissed.' She continues: 'Musk's companies have received or are being considered for large contracts with the federal government, with foreign governments, and with other private sector companies. 'Musk and individuals acting on his behalf have been involved in dozens of questionable actions that raise questions about corruption, ethics, and conflicts of interest.' Once an enthusiastic Trump supporter who poured $288m into the Republican's presidential campaign last year, Musk has since cut a disgruntled and beleaguered figure, angrily attacking the president's 'big beautiful bill' as a 'disgusting abomination' as it makes its way through the Senate, winning the support of conservative fiscal hawks in the process. Warren makes clear that not all of the instances she goes on to cite constitute lawbreaking but argues that Musk 'violated norms at an astonishing pace' and, in some cases, 'engaged in action that may have violated the statutory prohibition regarding federal employees' participation in particular matters in which a government official has a financial interest.' Her report lists 130 alleged offences in total, one for every day he served, some of which occurred in plain sight, notably Trump using the White House lawn as a showroom forecourt from which to promote Musk's Tesla electric vehicle range and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick advising Fox News viewers to invest in Tesla stock during an interview with Jesse Watters. Warren also gives behind the scenes examples of conduct she argues might have benefited the billionaire, including his recommending changes at Nasa to suit SpaceX and alleged attempts to convince federal agencies to use his Starlink satellite technology, a rejection of which has been mooted as one of the central reasons for Musk's relationship with Trump beginning to disintegrate.


Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wanted to change surname to Spencer 'amid fears Charles was delaying Archie and Lilibet's passports because the application included HRH titles'
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle feared Archie and Lilibet's British passports were being held up at the behest of their grandfather the King over the use of their HRH titles, it was claimed today. The Sussexes are said to have become 'exasperated' about waiting months for their children's passports to arrive and believed it was being 'blocked' due to the use of their royal titles. The couple thought the application would take weeks and suspected it was because they wanted HRH on Archie and Lilibet's British travel documents. They then began exploring changing their surname to Spencer - a nod to Princess Diana, as revealed by The Mail on Sunday. 'The King hadn't wanted Archie and Lili to carry the titles, most of all the HRH, and the British passports, once created, would be the first and perhaps the only legal proof of their names', a source close to Harry and Meghan reportedly told The Guardian. 'There was clear reluctance to issue passports for the kids'. The insider has claimed that Harry wanted Archie and Lilibet, whose fourth birthday yesterday was marked with a video of her mother and father twerking before her birth, to have HRH titles so when they are adults they retain the chance to become working royals, should they wish. However, Buckingham Palace has pushed back on the claims the King or any of his staff intervened. When asked if there was any objection from Charles or aides to the passports being issued with the HRH titles, a spokesman said: 'No' but declined to comment further. Buckingham Palace denied that the King or any of his aides had anything to do with the delays in issuing their passports A gift basket and HRH note sent to Meghan's friend, CEO of IT Cosmetics Jamie Kern Lima. Meghan's spokesman last month denied that has been using it for commercial gain On their birth certificates, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children are Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. But according to reports their applications used the surname Sussex, not Mountbatten-Windsor, which Archie had on his previous US and British passports. The average wait for a UK passport is currently around three weeks. But apparently Harry and Meghan cancelled their initial standard applications after three months and reapplied using the UK Government's 24-hour passport service. But then their online meeting to fasttrack the applications was eventually cancelled at the 11th hour owing to a 'systems failure.' The Guardian's source claimed that Harry and Meghan feared officials in the UK were 'dragging their feet' because Archie and Lilibet's passport applications included the titles HRH. The insider added: 'Harry was at a point where British passports for his children with their updated Sussex surnames (since the death of Queen Elizabeth II) were being blocked with a string of excuses over the course of five months. 'Out of sheer exasperation he went to his uncle to effectively say: 'My family are supposed to have the same name and they're stopping that from happening because the kids are legally HRH, so if push comes to shove, if this blows up and they won't let the kids be called Sussex, then can we use Spencer as a surname?'.' The couple then reportedly asked their lawyers to write to the HM Passport Office threatening to pursue a data subject access request relating to Archie and Lilibet's applications. Days later the two passports were reportedly issued with HRH titles and Sussex as the new surname. A spokesman for Harry and Meghan said: 'We do not comment on private issues pertaining to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex 's children.' The Home Office declined to comment. Meghan Markle posted a video of her and Prince Harry twerking in a hospital room before Lilibet's birth to mark her fourth birthday yesterday The Sussexes' use of HRH has proved highly controversial because the couple are said to have reassured the Queen that they would not use the title after they emigrated to the US. But then MailOnline revealed last month that Meghan Markle calls herself Her Royal Highness to friends - but has denied that in doing so she is flouting the Megxit deal agreed with the late monarch. The former actress, 43, sparked controversy after her friend Jamie Kern Lima shared a picture of a food hamper with a note that said it was 'With the compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex'. Although no laws were passed or documents signed to prevent their use, Harry and Meghan's agreement with the late Queen and senior officials was that they would stop using the word 'Royal' and their HRH titles after they quit duties and emigrated to the US to become 'financially independent' from the Crown. A spokesman for the Sussexes insisted that they do not use HRH titles for commercial purposes. A source close to the royal couple suggested that the image shared by Jamie Kern Lima was taken before the Duchess launched her As Ever brand in early March. In the podcast, Jamie Kern Lima claimed that she had been sent the jam last year. The Sussexes have never had their HRH taken away by Queen Elizabeth II or King Charles. The source close to the couple said that while Meghan and Harry do not publicly use 'HRH ', their titles remain. Last weekend The Mail on Sunday revealed how Prince Harry sought advice from Princess Diana 's brother about changing his family name to Spencer. Sources told Richard Eden that the Duke of Sussex actively explored ways to assume his mother's surname – a move that would have involved ditching Mountbatten-Windsor, used by his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. It is understood he discussed the issue with Earl Spencer – whose family seat is Althorp in Northamptonshire – during a rare visit to Britain, but was told that the legal hurdles were insurmountable. 'They had a very amicable conversation and Spencer advised him against taking such a step,' said a friend of Harry. Nevertheless, the fact that he consulted the Earl over the issue – a proposal that would dismay his brother and father – is a vivid expression of the toxic rift with his family. Mountbatten-Windsor is the surname available to descendants of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. It combines the Royal Family 's name of Windsor and the Duke of Edinburgh 's adopted surname. Royal author Tom Bower has claimed that 'Meghan decided her real object in life was to be Diana'. If the name change had succeeded, Meghan's daughter, who is believed to have met the King only once, would have become Lilibet Diana Spencer, a more fulsome tribute to Harry's late mother. The move would be particularly hurtful to King Charles, who cherishes the Mountbatten name just as his father did.


The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
Tommy Robinson denies harassing two Daily Mail journalists
Right-wing political activist Tommy Robinson has denied harassing two Daily Mail journalists. The 42-year-old, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday to face charges over his alleged conduct towards the two reporters. He is accused of two counts of harassment causing fear of violence between 5 and 7 of August 2024. Robinson, from Luton, Bedfordshire, was released from prison on 27 May after he was jailed last October after admitting multiple breaches of an injuction made in 2021. The injuction had barred him from repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee, who had successfully sued him for libel. The former leader of the now-defunct English Defence League had wrongly claimed in an online video that the Syrian teenager was a violent thug. He later repeated that false allegation 10 times, including during a rally at London's Trafalgar Square last year. The activist left HMP Woodhill after his 18-month sentence was reduced by four months at the High Court. He was filmed speaking on his X social media channel for around 20 minutes with longer hair and a bushy beard, and wearing a rosary around his neck, as he left the prison. Robinson is facing a separate trial in October next year over an accusation that he failed to provide the Pin for his mobile phone when stopped by Kent Police in Folkestone in July 2024.