Angela Rayner’s ‘boob op’ is the least interesting thing about her

MPs should be able to open up about their experiences and quirks, their flaws and hinterlands, without being made to regret it, writes Marie Le Conte

Knowing the content of someone’s character can be as important as knowing about their ideological leanings (AP)

Writing a good profile of a politician is an art. The piece must be interesting but entertaining as well; there must be enough about policy and politics, but it cannot be too dry either. On the other hand, an interview only filled with fluff is of no interest to anyone. The secret lies in balancing these things out.

On Friday, the Financial Times published a wonderful profile of Angela Rayner. Jim Pickard took the deputy Labour leader out for lunch and, over the course of the meal, she revealed a number of things about both herself and her party.

For a start, she admitted to never having had a “particularly strong view either way” on Brexit, which puts her at odds with sharp Remainer Keir Starmer – a man who, by the way, she has saved in her phone as “Mr Darcy”.