Could Starmer bring back Rayner to steady ship – and would she get onboard?

It is nearly eight months since Angela Rayner quit the cabinet because of her tax arrangements, but some might argue her influence on the government has not gone away. And soon she might return, whether as Keir Starmer’s saviour or, perhaps, his usurper. There is increasing speculation that the prime minister could carry out a small-scale reshuffle, primarily to bring back Rayner, his former deputy and one of Labour’s political heavyweights. This is by no means certain: Starmer is understood to have not yet made up his mind, and events depend in part on how significant a blow Labour is dealt in next week’s elections to the Scottish and Welsh parliaments and to councils across England. Robert Hayward, the elections analyst and Conservative peer, has predicted Labour will lose 1,850 council seats on 7 May, above the 1,500 figure cited in one report as the possible trigger for a cabinet revolt. Adding to the sense of dread, Hayward’s forecast says Reform UK will gain about 1,550 councillors and the Greens 500. If Starmer were to limp on after such losses, the temptation would be strong to get the cabinet support of Rayner as part of efforts to reset his government and signal to restive MPs that a change of direction is afoot. Since she was forced to resign last September because of the underpayment of stamp duty on a flat, Rayner has walked a line between loyalty and interventionism, regularly reminding Labour colleagues of her policy ideas. …