Inside Politics: Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner smooth over rift

The Labour boss is said to have been warned of a possible leadership challenge over his disastrous reshuffle – but Starmer and his deputy have made up for now, writes Adam Forrest

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (PA)

If you dare to dream, dream big. Conor McGregor has claimed he would do “big things” if he were to buy Manchester United. The charismatic MMA star is keen to revive the fortunes of the ailing brand – with fans at the club desperate to get rid of those currently in charge. Could Andy Burnham do “big things” for the ailing Labour brand? The charismatic mayor of Greater Manchester has some in the party dreaming of change at the top. Burnham has criticised Keir Starmer for being “too cautious,” while Labour No’s 2 Angela Rayner has also aired her frustrations. Boris Johnson, meanwhile, is promising to do “big things” in the year ahead. His government reveals its dream legislative agenda at the Queen’s Speech today.

Inside the bubble

Chief political commentator John Rentoul on what to look out for today:

It’s Queen’s Speech day and the state opening of parliament, with the fancy dress bit of the ceremonies to begin from 11.25am. The Commons reassembles in the afternoon to start days of debate on the government’s legislative agenda. There’s also a bit of serious business in committees, with Lex Greenhill giving evidence to the Treasury committee.

Daily briefing

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE: Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner played happy families on Monday by going for a public cup of coffee in Westminster. But Starmer is thought to have been warned that Rayner could oust him as Labour leader during his disastrous reshuffle. Starmer was made aware of a potential leadership challenge over her sacking as party chair, according to The Times. “There were a lot of people … saying they would back her,” one Rayner ally said. Labour’s No 2 is not done trying to re-assert her authority – sharing her frustration that the party has talked down to its traditional voters. In a not-so-subtle message to Starmer, she said Labour had got stuck in “the language of parliament”. Andy Burnham also put the boot in, saying Labour had become “too cautious” under Starmer. The leader should have set out more clearly how much nurses should be paid, he said. Labour MPs fear Starmer’s “cool and calm” reputation has been ruined. One MP told The Independent his response to the poor election performance looked like “panic stations”.

MUSTIQUE MYSTERY: The charmed life of Boris Johnson continues. He is being investigated for a possible breach of Commons rules over his £15,000 Christmas holiday in the Caribbean – and yet nobody seems to care very much. The parliamentary commissioner for standards Kathyrn Stone revealed she is looking into the mystery of who “covered” the PM’s break on the island of Mustique and how it was declared. Angela Rayner said: “The public have a right to know who paid.” Yet Labour’s attempts to focus on “sleaze” appear to have failed. A new Savanta ComRes poll for The Independent found nearly half of voters associate Johnson with dishonesty and greed. But the survey found that doubts over Johnson’s character may not harm Tory fortunes – with anger over sleaze heavily concentrated among opposition voters. In fact, Tory voters appear to love a cad. The latest Redfield & Wilton poll finds the party increasing its lead over Labour to 11 points.

HAPPY MONDAY: Boris Johnson appeared in good mood as he told the nation that drinking inside pubs, household mixing and hugging can all resume as planned next Monday. The PM still urged the public to “live responsibly” and said the government would set out updated guidance on social distancing soon. “This doesn’t mean that we can suddenly throw caution to the winds. We all know that close contacts such as hugging is a direct way of transmitting this disease,” Johnson said. Nobody is in the mood to be cynical at the moment: zero Covids deaths were announced for England, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Monday. Experts also expressed their confidence that vaccine roll-out, social distancing and mask-wearing will help to keep the UK on top of the variant first detected in India even when curbs are lifted next week. A reminder: our science correspondent Samuel Lovett be on hand to answer readers’ questions on the next step out of lockdown. Join him on The Independent site at 3.30pm for our latest Ask Me Anything event.

ROYAL GRUMBLE: There is already discontent over the contents of the Queen’s Speech, as Boris Johnson government’s sets out its legislative agenda today. There’s a proposed ban on gay conversion therapy at long last – but ministers are proposing a “short” public consultation on the issues. The government is said to want to make sure “legitimate forms of pastoral support” can continue. Jayne Ozanne, the former LGBT+ adviser who quit over the issue, said the government must not weasel out of banning religious gay conversion practices. “They have consulted long enough, now it is time to act and bring forward legislation that protects everyone from this inhumane and degrading abuse,” she said. There is also concern over plans to force voters to bring ID when they vote at elections. Johnson suggested it would only apply to first-time voters (who just so happen to be more likely to vote Labour). The government is also promising to overhaul the asylum system, reform planning laws in England and usher in a skills “revolution”.

CALM BEFORE THE STORM? After all the grandstanding, it looks like we might be entering a “phoney war” period for the Scottish independence referendum stooshie. The SNP’s deputy first minister John Swinney said it was the new Scottish government’s “aspiration” for the Covid virus to be consistently suppressed by the end of 2021 – before pushing on with plans for another vote on separation. It follows Nicola Sturgeon’s claim she “wouldn’t rule out” introducing her indyref2 legislation in the Scottish parliament early next year. So we may have at least six months or so of rhetorical skirmishes before the full-blown legal battle begins. Former Labour PM Gordon Brown – launching his Our Scottish Future think tank’s campaign to save the union – claimed he is “not afraid” of another referendum. Brown said he believes those in favour of staying in the UK “have all the arguments to win”. Not sure that’s how exhausted Scottish Labour folk see it.

WORKING CLASS HERO: Attention at Westminster is now turning to the forthcoming by-election in Batley and Spen, forced by Labour MP Tracy Brabin’s victory in the West Yorkshire mayoral contest. Keir Starmer has been warned that the Labour candidate must be “working class”. Left-wing MPs Ian Lavery and Jon Trickett said it was vital for the candidate to be rooted in the constituency. And not posh. “Over a period of decades our link with working class communities has been gradually eroded,” they said. It follows frustration that the doomed Hartlepool candidate Paul Williams was selected from a “long list” of one, with claims he was parachuted in by Starmer. Officials at Labour HQ aren’t impressed by the demand from Lavery and Trickett for salt-of-the-earth candidates only. One said: “We welcome ideas and contributions as we seek to rebuild the Labour Party, but it is not currently a priority to have an internal debate between MPs over who is working class and who isn’t.”

On the record

“The problem we have had – there is a caution that stops people putting forward clear policies.”

Andy Burnham has some advice for Keir Starmer.

From the Twitterati

“Boris Johnson’s spokesman justifies voter ID plans by comparing it to using photo ID to “take out a library book” or “pick up a parcel”. Neither of these things requires photo ID.”

The Mirror’s Mikey Smith on the government’s voter ID plans…

“I wonder why Boris Johnson wants his new voter ID rules only to apply to first time voters.”

…while Sam Bright points to data showing younger people tend to vote Labour.

Essential reading

Tom Peck, The Independent: Keir Starmer has changed Angela Rayner’s job title – that should fix everything

Sean O’Grady, The Independent: Scottish independence is dead in the water

Polly Toynbee, The Guardian: Labour’s chance will come when Johnson’s promises start to crumble

Stephen Bush, New Statesman: Who will win the Batley and Spen by-election?

Sign up here to receive this free daily briefing in your email inbox every morning