{"id":20211,"date":"2026-02-09T15:40:48","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T15:40:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=20211"},"modified":"2026-02-09T15:40:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T15:40:48","slug":"revealed-rayner-for-leader-site-briefly-went-live-in-january-angela-rayner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=20211","title":{"rendered":"Revealed: \u2018Rayner for leader\u2019 site briefly went live in January | Angela Rayner"},"content":{"rendered":"

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An unfinished website claiming to launch Angela Rayner\u2019s Labour leadership campaign was published temporarily in January, prompting further speculation that the former deputy prime minister could be gearing up for a contest to replace Keir Starmer.<\/p>\n

The Guardian was alerted to the website, which appeared to be under construction, by a source in the IT industry \u2013 before the US Department of Justice\u2019s latest release of documents<\/a> on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It was published, seemingly by accident, on a \u201cstaging site\u201d, before being removed from the internet.<\/p>\n

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Meanwhile, the domain name angelaforleader.co.uk was registered within minutes of the apparent publishing error, at 9.48am on 27 January, with the same company \u2013 Webfusion \u2013 as her official parliamentary site.<\/p>\n

Rayner has denied any links to the website, with her team dismissing it as a \u201cfake\u201d that had neither been commissioned by her, nor with her knowledge, while one ally described it as a \u201cfalse flag\u201d operation.<\/p>\n

The news comes with Starmer\u2019s position under severe pressure after the departure of his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and calls for his resignation from Anas Sarwar, Labour\u2019s leader in Scotland. The prime minister has struggled to contain <\/a>anger over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, with some within the Labour party asking who might take over should he be brought down by the scandal.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Another screengrab from the unfinished website, laying out Rayner\u2019s reasons for running for the Labour leadership<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sources have told the Guardian that Rayner has been planning for a potential leadership campaign for months, including conducting private polling, raising funds and discussing strategy. However, allies insisted she had no intention of moving against Starmer.<\/p>\n

One ally suggested the site might have been created with the intention of leaking it online in an effort to damage her chances of a future leadership bid. \u201cThis is a crass false-flag operation, obviously designed to undermine Angela. These sort of by-the-playbook dirty tricks would be laughable if this wasn\u2019t so serious.\u201d<\/p>\n

But there was no indication that the site had been deliberately shared or leaked to journalists or political figures. The Guardian\u2019s source appears to have chanced upon the page during a brief window of availability, and it has not emerged via other routes in almost two weeks.<\/p>\n

The website\u2019s appearance comes at a moment of opportunity and risk for Rayner, whose ambitions must be balanced against the danger of appearing to undermine the prime minister at a moment of vulnerability.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>The website claiming to launch Angela Rayner\u2019s Labour leadership campaign was published temporarily in January<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Friday, the Daily Mail reported<\/a> suggestions that she had told friends she \u201cwill be ready\u201d to run should Starmer be forced to resign. A spokesperson for Rayner rejected that claim. There have even been claims that her decision to get a haircut<\/a> was taken with leadership ambitions in mind.<\/p>\n

Some have viewed her intervention in the row over the release of documents <\/a>relating to Mandelson\u2019s appointment as evidence of an attempt to position herself as an alternative leader. Rayner\u2019s camp has insisted she merely sought to help the government through a burgeoning crisis.<\/p>\n

She warned Starmer privately that the appointment would be a mistake because of evidence that Mandelson had retained his links with Epstein post-conviction, according to reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rayner\u2019s stock has risen among MPs in the last few months as she has spoken out to nudge the government on policy areas she views as her legacies, such as employment rights and leasehold reform, which are also popular with the Labour<\/a> membership.<\/p>\n

The draft website featured pictures of the senior Labour politician along with the words: \u201cAngela Rayner is running for Leader to fight for working-class Britain.\u201d It had an endorsements page, as well as a form for party members to join her campaign and list their local constituency party.<\/p>\n

It opened with the words: \u201cMeet Angela\u201d set against a red background, with the subheading: \u201cFrom care worker to deputy prime minister \u2013 Angela Rayner\u2019s story is the story of working-class Britain.\u201d It was not clear how long the site had been live.<\/p>\n

The menu across the top of the page had links including an offer to party members to \u201cget involved\u201d \u2013 and then a yellow button for supporters to click to \u201cjoin the campaign\u201d.<\/p>\n

As the reader scrolled down the screen, it featured a picture of Rayner speaking at a podium, alongside the headline: \u201cWhy She\u2019s Running\u201d, with placeholder content \u201cabout Angela\u2019s vision for the Labour party and why she believes she is the right person to lead\u201d, as well as \u201cher commitment to working people and transforming Britain\u201d.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>A section of the website with details of Angela Rayner\u2019s roles as a care worker and trade unionist<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The next section began with an image of the former deputy prime minister in conversation, with short biographical details of her early life, her time as a care worker and trade unionist, and then her political career.<\/p>\n

This included her entering parliament as MP for Ashton-under-Lyne in 2015, rising through the ranks to become shadow education secretary, being elected deputy leader to Starmer in 2020 and then, following Labour\u2019s election victory in 2024, becoming deputy prime minister.<\/p>\n

There was a further link to read Rayner\u2019s \u201cvision for Britain\u201d, although the website was taken down before the Guardian had the chance to do so. The final page visible was titled: \u201cThe movement is uniting behind Angela,\u201d with a page for endorsements. The working example was \u201cJoe Bloggs, MP for Whatever\u201d.<\/p>\n

Political advisers privately admit that any ambitious politician must prepare for a possible leadership contest long before it is publicly acceptable to do so. In some cases, supporters may seek to pave the way for a campaign without the direct involvement of the candidate themselves.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>A section about Rayner\u2019s political career<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, Rayner\u2019s team denied the site was in any way linked to the former deputy prime minister. A spokesperson said: \u201cThis fake website has nothing to do with Angela. It was not commissioned by her or with her knowledge. She will take legal advice given the use of her name and image without her consent.\u201d<\/p>\n

The prime minister has publicly said he would welcome Rayner\u2019s return to cabinet at some point, while she has suggested she would like to be back on the political frontline, privately telling supporters at a recent fundraising dinner: \u201cI\u2019m not dead yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Rayner also faces the hurdle of an unresolved HMRC investigation into her tax affairs after her resignation as housing secretary last September. Some MPs believe she would not provide the clean slate the party needed.<\/p>\n

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, who is also regarded as a leadership contender, had a close friendship with Mandelson that, after the scandal that blew up last week, could now be a significant liability, meaning there is not an obvious successor ready to move should Starmer leave.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

#Revealed #Rayner #leader #site #briefly #live #January #Angela #Rayner<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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