Angela Rayner angered by Andy McDonald’s resignation Work Conference 2021

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Labor deputy leader Angela Rayner privately expressed outrage at Andy MacDonald’s departure after he launched a major policy on workers’ rights with her.

MacDonald resigned as shadow employment minister on Monday, describing tensions with the leadership that culminated in his refusal to argue against a £15 minimum wage at a meeting with union officials.

On Tuesday afternoon, Labor members will vote on a motion at conference that includes a requirement for a minimum wage of £15, as well as a condemnation of firing and re-employment practices.

It is understood that the Labor leadership will not attempt to block the vote, but a source of momentum said it would show the leader, Keir Starmer, “increasingly isolated in his opposition to a significant increase in the minimum wage,” adding: “It is hard to avoid the conclusion of his conference going from bad to bad.” worse.”

The Shadow Home Secretary, Nick Thomas Symonds, tried to play down the row and said the leadership would keep an open mind on politics. “We’re going to make an assessment of that, which I think is the responsible thing to do, akin to a general election,” he said.

“Our position is that it should be at least £10, which we have made very clear, and by the way we are very pleased with the conference and for delegates to vote in favor of the proposal before them today.”

Rainer’s Allies said it was outraged that MacDonald had not told it of his intention to quit when it thought the two were close. They said MacDonald had not raised any controversies because it had developed a green paper on workers’ rights demanding an immediate minimum wage of £10.

The two launched the policy ahead of Reiner’s speech at the conference, calling for full flexible work and basic rights from day one, including sick pay and parental leave. Multiple sources also suggested Monday night that Starmer had intended to fire McDonald from Shadow Cabinet in the spring during the cabinet reshuffle, but Rayner intervened.

“This is not a decent way to act after the vice president puts her neck on the line to save your job and then works with you to develop all the policies in the New Deal,” one source said. “Don’t try to make a difference about policy when you’re not even trying to change policy.”

The Guardian understands activists have plans to disrupt Starmer’s speech on Wednesday to demand a minimum wage of £15.

MacDonald is scheduled to speak at an event with former leader Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday. In his resignation letter, MacDonald said his role had become untenable, adding: “After 18 months of your leadership, our movement is more divided than ever, and the pledges you made to membership have not been fulfilled.”

He said he was “instructed to go to a meeting and defend against a national minimum wage of £15 an hour and against statutory sick pay on living wage. That’s something I couldn’t do”.

Thomas Symonds said Starmer was trying to set a very assertive direction for the party. “It’s not about defeating different parts of the party, the party has always been a large-scale church, but what we’re doing is showing a very strong sense of direction under our new leadership,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“Kear has shown such a very strong sense of direction this week, he’s been able to change the rules and we’ll take those policies into the country now as well.”

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