Keir Starmer ‘overshadowed’ Angela Rayner says Adam Boulton

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Angela Rayner delivered a speech to the Institute for Government think tank where she outlined Labour’s plans to “clean up” politics and rid it of “corruption”. But Sir Keir Starmer announced Labour’s reshuffle midway into the speech which altered the agenda on Sky News with some political commentators wondering if it was deliberate. Sky News presenter Adam Boulton delivered a deadpan response and said it looked as if Sir Keir “overshadowed his deputy”. 

In her speech, Ms Rayner outlined Labour’s position on sleaze and said the party would introduce a five-year ban for lobbying ex-MPs.

She said: “Never again will a prime minister and his ministers be able to break the rules with impunity because the rules are too weak.

“Power and control over the rules will be taken away from those the rules hold to account.

“It will be a Labour Government that makes our politics a force for good.”

But during her presentation to the think tank, news of Labour’s reshuffle broke which went straight to the top of the Sky News agenda with breaking story alerts being played.

Mr Boulton cut away from the speech and remarked Ms Rayner had been “overshadowed” by Sir Keir as news poured in.

Labour MP Cat Smith was one of the first to go and announced her resignation on Twitter.

She will return to the backbenches and was looking forward to spending more time with her constituents.

The MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood and shadow minister for democracy was allowed to continue her role in the shadow cabinet but chose to quit.

In her letter, Ms Smith attacked Sir Keir for not readmitting Jeremy Corbyn back into the Labour Party and the lack of support for proportional representation.

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Ms Rayner told reporters at her speech she was not aware of any reshuffle happening.

During her speech on standards, Ms Rayner said: “I’ve been concentrating on the job that I’m doing.”

She added that the Labour Party should be focusing on getting into power.

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Sir Keir was also the victim of being overshadowed last week when his speech to the CBI annual conference – aimed at convincing industry leaders that Labour backed business – was largely ignored following Boris Johnson’s disaster presentation.

The Labour leader’s speech focused on Brexit and said he would come up with better agriculture deals with the European Union to stop the stalls at borders.

Sir Keir also took several swipes at Mr Johnson but the audience was largely unresponsive.

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