Angela Rayner was “wrong” to stage a high-profile intervention criticising the direction of Sir Keir Starmer’s government this week, Harriet Harman has said.
Speaking to Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, the veteran Labour peer said Ms Rayner had offered just “one criticism after another” rather than “positive proposals”.
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“It’s so easy to be popular when you are not in the hot seat, and whoever took over from Starmer would face all the same problems,” Baroness Harman said.
In a speech at an event hosted by campaign group Mainstream on Wednesday, the former deputy prime minister warned Labour was “running out of time”.
“I’m a big fan of Angela Rayner. I think she’s a remarkable woman. I think she energised the party when we were in opposition building up into government,” Baroness Harman said.
But speaking about Ms Rayner’s speech on Wednesday evening, she added: “It didn’t have any proposals about what should be done.
“I just don’t think she should be doing this. I think it’s wrong for her and it’s certainly wrong for the party and the government.
“It’s the sort of things that are said by Nigel Farage, by Kemi Badenoch by the Greens, by the Lib Dems.
“I think it’s best for you to come forward with positive proposals rather than just criticise a government, which is dealing with a very difficult situation.”
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Baroness Harman also said the former deputy prime minister should not “wave” immigration “away” as an issue.
“The other thing that I would take issue with Angela Rayner on this is that immigration is now, if you look at the opinion polls and just listen on the doorstep, it’s the second most important issue to people after the cost of living,” she said.
“To just wave it away as an issue and say it’s un-British to exercise extra controls… what is she suggesting instead?
“Is she saying it doesn’t matter that people are concerned about immigration or this is the wrong policy and we should be trying something else?” Baroness Harman said.
“It’s just a negative intervention.”
