Former ministers rounded on government’s fiscal rules and called for new policies on tax and the economy
Less than a mile from the select committee room in Portcullis House where Olly Robbins held the prime minister’s future in his hands, Labour MPs were publicly workshopping how the party might look under new leadership.
It came in the guise of the Good Growth Foundation’s conference, but felt like a Labour leadership beauty parade on Pall Mall. The former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner was a last-minute addition to the programme but the most talked-about guest.
Rayner in her speech was dismissive of the scandal occupying Westminster over Peter Mandelson, urging the government to refocus on everyday hardships. The Iran war – and the impending economic shock – would require government intervention.
“Ordinary people fear they will once again pay the price,” she said. “That is why this crisis calls for bold action. Help with people’s everyday housing, transport, energy and water costs.”
