Angela Rayner, the former Deputy Prime Minister, is set to publish a memoir that will chart her dramatic political journey from a childhood in poverty to the heights of government and her subsequent resignation.
From Teenage Mother to Deputy PM: A Political Journey
The book, confirmed by The Guardian, will tell Rayner's life story, beginning with an impoverished upbringing. It will cover her leaving school at 16 while pregnant, her involvement in the trade union movement, her rise through the Labour Party ranks, and her eventual appointment as Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary.
However, the narrative will also address her fall from grace in September, when she resigned from her ministerial roles after it emerged she had failed to pay stamp duty on a house purchase. Since stepping down, Rayner has maintained a low public profile, speaking out only on select issues like workers' rights.
A Move Seen as Leadership Positioning
The timing of the memoir's announcement is widely interpreted as an effort by Rayner to shape her own narrative ahead of any potential future Labour leadership contest. Often touted as a successor to Keir Starmer, she refused to rule out a leadership bid or a return to frontline politics after her resignation, stating she had "not gone away".
While Starmer has said he would bring her back into the cabinet, her allies caution that she was deeply affected by the stamp duty scandal's impact on her family. They also note she is still awaiting a settlement with HMRC over the debt, factors which they say will influence any decision to run for leader. They denied she is planning an imminent challenge to Starmer.
Book Details and Political Context
The memoir will be published by The Bodley Head, an imprint of Penguin Random House UK, in the second half of 2026. It was acquired after a competitive bidding war between several publishers. Rayner will use a ghost-writer to capture her plain-speaking style but will narrate the audiobook version herself.
Sources close to Rayner say she wants the book to inspire others, framing it as an "authentically Angela" account rather than a standard political memoir. The announcement comes as Starmer faces a precarious period, with Labour braced for difficult results in next May's local elections, which are likely to intensify speculation about his future.
Before her resignation, Angela Rayner was considered the frontrunner to succeed Keir Starmer should he stand down, a position this memoir will seek to solidify in the minds of the public and party members.
