Angela Rayner: Who is Labour’s new ‘Red Queen’

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Gavin Cordon

When Sir Keir Starmer was asked if he was a socialist, there was a momentary pause before he replied “yes”. When the same question was put to shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, she chose instead to describe herself as a social democrat.

With UK Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner there were no such hesitations or equivocations as she readily affirmed her socialist credentials – and for good measure suggested that Ms Reeves is really a believer too.