Angela Rayner ‘could be PM next year’ as Starmer fights for his political life | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Experts have stated that Angela Rayner “could be prime minister next year”, as Keir Starmer fights to stay the Labour chief. The Prime Minister has stated that hypothesis about his management is “rife”.

On the Telegraph’s Daily T podcast, columnist Camilla Tominey stated: “Lucy Powell, the new deputy prime minister, is maneuvering to find an opportunity post the May elections to chicken run burn into a seat to challenge Starmer.” Journalist Allister Heath stated Angela Rayner was essentially the most “problematic” rival to Starmer.

He stated: “I think there’s a high chance she becomes prime minister next year. So in other words, she’s by far the biggest threat to him.” Tominey stated: “She resigned in September, but she now looks like she’s going to be a thorn in the PM’s side next year.”

Tim Stanley, one other Telegraph columnist added: “Stronger for having resigned. She had an amazing conference and she didn’t even go to the conference.” Stanley went on to say he thought the chance of Angela Rayner turning into the subsequent prime minister earlier than the top of this parliament is “pretty high”.

He added: “I mean, we’ve got to mention also that the prime minister lost a deputy leadership contest. that was won by the so-called soft left candidate. So, he’s wounded.”

Annabel Denham, The Telegraph’s senior political commentator, agreed, saying: “Angela Rayner is definitely the biggest one to watch.”

Angela Rayner has been the Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne since 2015. She served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 2020 to 2025.

After the 2024 election, she was additionally Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government till her resignation in September 2025.

She resigned from each roles after a report concluded she had damaged the Ministerial Code by underpaying stamp obligation on a property buy, which she had admitted to.

Keir Starmer informed the Commons Liaison Committee that hypothesis of a management problem are “rife” whereas including that briefings in opposition to Cabinet and Budget leaks have been “completely unacceptable”.

He stated he had “no reason” to assume that workers at No. 10 had been concerned within the briefings, however stated he would act if obligatory after the inquiry.