ANGELA Rayner has launched her strongest public attack on Sir Keir Starmer yet as she slammed his migration reforms as “un-British”.
The former Deputy PM also said Labour was “running out of time” to deliver and was now viewed as “the Establishment” party.
She set out her stall to a group of left-wing activists in what will be seen as likely leadership positioning.
Ms Rayner has been relatively quiet since resigning from the Government over her tax scandal, but last night vowed to be more outspoken.
She took aim at Labour’s plan to toughen the criteria for migrants to gain permanent residency in Britain by making them live here first for 10 years instead of five.
Speaking to the Mainstream pressure group, Ms Rayner accused the PM and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood of “moving the goalposts.”
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Branding it “un-British”, she said: “Many people came here to Britain on the understanding that if they’ve worked in the sectors where we needed them, obeyed the law and paid their taxes, that they could stay.
“If we suddenly change that, it pulls the rug from under those that have planned their lives and commitments and they’re contributing to our economy and to our society.
“That would not just be bad policy, but a breach of trust.”
Downing Street fears Sir Keir could face a leadership challenge after May’s local elections where Labour are braced for heavy losses.
Ms Rayner is among the frontrunners to replace him by appealing to the party’s left-wing membership base.
Ms Mahmood is a likely rival, although her hardline immigration curbs have seen her popularity wane among the squeamish grassroots.
Ms Rayner is still to settle her tax case with HMRC after failing to pay stamp duty on her Brighton bolthole.
It is believed she owes around £40,000 to the taxman.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting is also a likely candidate and will draw support from the party’s moderate wing.
Manchester mayor Andy Burnham was blocked by the PM from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election but could yet find a route back to Parliament.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) voted 8-1 against letting him stand, with deputy leader Lucy Powell the only member backing him.
The ruling detonated fury across Labour, with MPs accusing Sir Keir of a shameless stitch-up to kill off a potential leadership rival.
Mr Burnham himself reacted to the news, saying he was “disappointed” and “concerned about its potential impact on the important elections ahead of us”.
But he also took at dig at Sir Keir as he complained the media was informed before him about the decision.
He said: “(It) tells you everything you need to know about the way the Labour Party is being run these days.
“You would think that over 30 years of service would count for something but sadly not.”
Sir Keir later admitted he has made mistakes – but said he is “coming out fighting” and vowed to lead Labour into the next election.
The PM was also rocked by the Mandelson scandal and an attempt by Labour’s Scottish leader to topple him from No10.
Senior Labour women later accused his regime of being a “boys club” that peddled “toxic” sexist briefings.
And in an exclusive interview with The Sun on Sunday days after his leadership teetered on the brink, he conceded it had been “a tough week”.
But Sir Keir insisted he is the man to clean up politics and told Labour plotters who tried to oust him that he is not going anywhere.
He said: “I won the leadership of the Labour Party when people said I wouldn’t.
“I changed the Labour Party when people said I couldn’t. I won an election when people said we wouldn’t.
“And now I intend to change the country – whatever other people say.”