'We've had a patronising tone': Angela Rayner says Labour 'needs to offer something'
Angela Rayner has told ITV News Labour has a "patronising tone", in the wake of last week's loss at the polls, and admitted the party needs to "offer something" in order to win the next election.
Labour's deputy leader admitted the party had got the tone "wrong" when campaigning for the Hartlepool byelection and local elections and accepted Labour lost because voters "didn't think that we offered them anything".
But Ms Rayner - who was Labour's campaigns coordinator in the run up to last week's elections - refused to criticise Sir Keir Starmer, despite his decision to sack her from her role in response to the election loss.
'We've had a patronising tone':
She said his leadership is "off the scale" when asked how she'd rate him out of 10, and told how she is "pleased" with their relationship.
Despite being sacked as party chairman and campaign coordinator, she was given a promotion by Sir Keir who made her Michael Gove's opposite number as shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, as well as creating her the new role of shadow secretary for the future of work.
Asked about being sacked, she said: "I don't want to discuss private conversations I had with Keir, but everyone knows I'm quite a trade union negotiator, and a robust talker, and Keir is very frank with me and I've really enjoyed the fact we've had that constructive open relationship and I'm pleased that will continue."
She added: "I'm really pleased what I've got now, it's a huge responsibility it does always make me feel a bit daunted because I'm still that kid that doesn't think they are quite good enough. I am still a bit nervous about that."
'Everyone knows I'm quite a trade union negotiator and a robust talker' - Rayner on her and Starmer:
Asked what being sacked felt like, she said: "Reshuffles are always a difficult process for any political party."
She added: "There's been briefings going on and I've not done any of that but what I can say is 'yeah, I do have have insecurities about am I good enough', and I think it does come from my working class background."
'Reshuffles are always difficult': Rayner on what it was like being sacked:
Sir Keir's leadership was heavily criticised after he sacked Ms Rayner, someone viewed as being among the party's best communicators, especially since he said he'd take "full responsibility" for whatever the result would be.
Asked if she trusts Sir Keir, she said "absolutely", adding that he's "done nothing but put the country first".
It was put to Ms Rayner that Sir Keir's leadership of Labour could not be "off the scale" because the party had lost eight councils and 300 council seats.
Angela Rayner is asked whether she trusts Keir Starmer:
Responding, she said: "We did have some good results; it was a mixed night.
"He has made progress, we have made progress it's not just him, it's we... we lost some really good council leaders who have been doing a good job for us, I'm devastated about that.
"I know Keir takes personal responsibility for that as well and it hits him hard."
The MP for Ashton under Lyme admitted that voters "still don't know" what the Labour Party stands for.
Angela Rayner is asked whether she'd ever go for Keir Starmer's job:
"You know some people ask 'what are you for?' and that's the challenge and why I wanted to take on a front facing role and Keir agreed with that.
"It's not just about attacking Tories but asking what we would do differently?"
On whether the deputy leader would ever like to become leader, she said: "I want to be deputy prime minister that is my aspiration, even doing that would be such an honour to do it - I can't imagine ringing me mum up and telling her that.... I would be in literally in tears.
"I know we have challenges as a party but I know we are the answer to making Britain proud of everything we are able to do."