Best mates Rebecca Long-Bailey and Angela Rayner could team up for Labour’s leadership bid in Blair-Brown style deal
BEST mates Rebecca Long-Bailey and Angela Rayner could team up to go for Labour’s leadership in a Blair-Brown style deal.
Ms Long-Bailey — John McDonnell’s pick — is considering running to take over from Jeremy Corbyn as leader.
Her close pal and London housemate Ms Rayner would go for the deputy position left vacant by Tom Watson.
One Labour MP close to the pair told The Sun: “I’d be amazed if they weren’t running. They are always in lockstep.”
The pair were staying quiet on the rumour yesterday, but were spotted strolling purposefully side by side outside Parliament.
Ms Long-Bailey, 40 — dubbed “Wrong-Daily” by her critics — is the Shadow Business Secretary and played a big role in Labour’s failed election campaign.
'GRANITA PACT'
Ms Rayner, 39, is the Shadow Education Secretary and a former Unison union rep.
The deal echoes the “Granita Pact” made at an Islington restaurant between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
Mr Brown agreed he would give his close friend Mr Blair a clear run at the leadership job.
In return, Mr Brown became Chancellor and was told Mr Blair would quit after two terms.
But Blair stayed on longer and the deal poisoned their relationship.
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Meanwhile, Labour politicians have warned party bosses are plotting to rush through the leadership contest to try to ensure a Corbynista gets the top job.
Labour peer and former Brown adviser Stewart Wood told BBC Radio 4 Westminster Hour, said he was “worried” about the timetable.
He added: “A lot of people left the party in the last year… I’d like to have that invitation for people to come back into the Labour party to play a part in the next part of its history.”
The Sun Says
“OUR time will come,” threatens Corbyn, mimicking a slogan from his old IRA mates.
He might have added another: “Remember, we only have to be lucky once.”
That certainly seems to be Labour’s election strategy now, so convinced are they that they did nothing wrong.
But if Momentum believe they can simply install some new young Corbynista puppet as leader and get “lucky” in 2024 they’ll get thrashed again.
Labour’s moderates have only days to get organised, though. Corbyn’s clowns aim to stitch up their successor rapidly.
And a decade of defeat will follow.
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