Labour’s official conference guide features a beaming Angela Rayner urging party members to have a ‘brilliant’ time in Liverpool… despite her having quit weeks ago.
In an awkward gaffe, Ms Rayner’s resignation from Government appears to have come too late for a reprint of the glossy 255-page brochure.
On page six of the guide, which lists every conference event, Ms Rayner is referred to as both ‘Deputy Prime Minister’ and ‘Deputy Leader of the Labour Party‘.
This is despite her no longer holding either role following her resignation over a tax row earlier this month.
Her departure came after a Whitehall probe found she had breached the ministerial code in relation to her purchase of an £800,000 flat in Hove, East Sussex.
Ms Rayner, who also quit as housing secretary, made a tearful admission that she failed to pay enough stamp duty on the seaside property.
Yet, with copies of Labour’s conference guide having seemingly been printed before her downfall, Ms Rayner is left taking pride of place in the brochure.
‘It’s wonderful to be back in the great city of Liverpool for annual conference – as our movement gathers together and looks to the future,’ she is quoted as saying.
‘It’s an honour to welcome you as your Deputy Leader and your Deputy Prime Minister.’
Labour’s official conference guide features a beaming Angela Rayner urging party members to have a ‘brilliant’ time in Liverpool… despite her having quit weeks ago
Ms Rayner’s departure from Government came after a Whitehall probe found she had breached the ministerial code in relation to her purchase of an £800,000 flat in Hove, East Sussex
The former deputy prime minister was afforded a standing ovation by Labour members at the party’s gathering in Liverpool on Sunday
There are few copies of the conference guide to be found in Liverpool, amid claims most were withdrawn before anyone arrived due to the references to Ms Rayner.
Despite her tax row, Ms Rayner was hailed as a ‘working-class hero’ from the main conference stage on Sunday and afforded a standing ovation by Labour members.
Cabinet minister Steve Reed told delegates he had taken on his ‘dream job’ when he succeeded Ms Rayner as Housing Secretary earlier this month.
But he admitted taking over at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) was ‘not under the circumstances’ he would have wanted.
‘When I picked up the phone to the Prime Minister three weeks ago, he offered me my dream job but not under the circumstances I would have wanted,’ he said.
‘So can I begin by thanking my good friend Angela Rayner for all she has done for our party and our Government over so many years – for workers’ rights, for local government, for building council homes.
‘Angela, you are a true working-class hero.’
Mr Reed’s tribute to Ms Rayner was met by applause and cheers in the conference hall, while many delegates also rose to their feet.
Government ministers Ellie Reeves and Matthew Pennycook were among those seen joining in the standing ovation.
