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The "stealth operation" is stealth no more. In a seismic shift that threatens to shatter the fragile peace at the heart of the Labour Party, Angela Rayner has reportedly amassed a staggering £1 million "war chest" to fund a direct challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Exclusive revelations from The Mail on Sunday confirm what Westminster insiders have whispered for weeks: Rayner is not just waiting for a vacancy; she is actively building the infrastructure to create one.
The "Office of Rayner" Goes Global-The driving force behind this new aggressive phase is the quiet establishment of "The Office of Angela Rayner Ltd," a private company registered just days ago. While officially billed as a vehicle for handling her private business affairs, political analysts view it as the financial engine room for a leadership bid. This corporate entity allows Rayner to cultivate donors and channel funds with a degree of independence that bypassed the usual party machinery, effectively creating a "government in exile" right under Starmer’s nose.
The "Shadow Cabinet" in Waiting-Perhaps most damaging for the Prime Minister are the reports that Rayner has moved beyond mere fundraising. Sources close to the former Deputy Prime Minister reveal she has moved her operation "up a gear," actively approaching Labour MPs with promises of specific Cabinet positions in a future Rayner administration. This "patronage in advance" strategy is a classic hallmark of a leadership coup in its final preparatory stages, designed to peel away soft supporters from a weakened leader by offering them a stake in the new regime.
Why Now? The Burnham Factor-The timing of this escalation is surgical. The political landscape shifted dramatically last week when the Labour National Executive Committee (NEC) blocked Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, from returning to Parliament via the Gorton and Denton by-election. With the "King of the North" effectively checkmated by the party machine, the anti-Starmer faction—comprising the soft left, trade unionists, and disgruntled backbenchers—has been left with only one viable vehicle for change: Angela Rayner. Her team has seized this moment of consolidation, launching their charm offensive while the memory of Burnham’s blocking is still fresh and raw among the party membership.
The "Forced" Resignation Narrative-Rayner’s camp is also reshaping the narrative around her departure from government in September 2025. While officially she resigned over a breach of the ministerial code regarding a £40,000 stamp duty error, her allies are now framing her as a martyr "forced out" by a rigid system, using her time on the backbenches to reconnect with the party’s grassroots. This "outsider" status is now her greatest weapon, allowing her to distance herself from the government’s plummeting approval ratings while presenting herself as the authentic voice of the Labour movement that Starmer has allegedly abandoned.
Analysis: The End Game Approaches-The revelation of the £1 million fund changes the calculus entirely. A leadership challenge is no longer a matter of "if" but "when." Starmer, already bruised by the resignation of senior ministers and a hostile press, now faces a fully resource-rich rival sitting just rows behind him in the Commons. The likely trigger points for a formal declaration are now narrowing. A disastrous showing in the May 2026 local elections is the most probable flashpoint, but with a war chest this size, Rayner’s team may not wait that long if the Prime Minister’s authority crumbles further.
The "Office of Angela Rayner" is open for business, and its first order of business appears to be the eviction of the current tenant of 10 Downing Street.
