Key events
Reeves suggests Labour leadership contest could put economic recovery at risk
Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, spoke to reporters this morning after the growth figures were released. She claimed that a Labour leadership contest would put economic recovery at risk. She said:
Labour MPs have got an important decision to make today, but the numbers show that the economy is growing and that when we entered this conflict [the Iran war], our economy was growing strongly because of the decisions that I have made as chancellor. We shouldn’t put that at risk.
In her interview with ITV, Angela Rayner, the former deputy PM, said she would not be making a pact with Andy Burnham to challenge Keir Starmer. “I’m not doing deals or anything like that,” she said.
Good morning. Today it looks as though the phoney Labour leadership contest that has been bubbling away at least since Sunday may finally turn into a real one. Westminster is braced for Wes Streeting, the health secretary, to announce that he is standing – although journalists are not yet 100% certain it will happen.
This morning, in a joint scoop, the Guardian and ITV had news that could affect Streeting’s calculations. As Pippa Crerar reports, Angela Rayner, the former deputy PM, has been has been cleared by HMRC of deliberate wrongdoing or carelessness over her tax affairs.
In an interview with Pippa, Rayner said that she would not challenge Starmer herself. But she said she wanted to see change, “action, not just words”. Asked whether Starmer should step aside, she said: “Keir will have to reflect on that.”
If there is a contest, Rayner did not rule out being a candidate, but she also hinted that she might back someone else. She said:
I’ll play my part in doing everything we possibly can to deliver the change, because it’s not a personal ambition, I know the difference it makes. Whatever role I can play, I will keep pushing and pushing hard because I want the people out there at the moment who are really struggling … to know that I’m putting all my energy into fighting for them.
Rayner has hinted that she would be happy for Andy Burnham (who, like her, is on Labour’s soft-left wing – Streeting is identified with Labour’s right) to replace Starmer. But Burnham could only be a candidate if he can find a seat and return to the Commons in a byelection. We are expecting to hear more on that soon. Burnham has cancelled his regular weekly appearance on Radio Manchester saying he needs to prioritise “discussions arising from last week’s local elections”.
We don’t know when the possible main announcements for today – from Streeting and Burnham – might happen. But here are the events that are in the diary.
9.30am: NHS England publishes its monthly performance figures. Normally Streeting, as health secretary, records a short clip for broadcasters when they come out.
After 10.30am: MPs resume the king’s speech debate, focusing on economic growth.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
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