Experts have said that Angela Rayner "could be prime minister next year", as Keir Starmer fights to remain the Labour leader. The Prime Minister has said that speculation about his leadership is "rife".

On the Telegraph's Daily T podcast, columnist Camilla Tominey said: "Lucy Powell, the new deputy prime minister, is maneuvering to find an opportunity post the May elections to chicken run burn into a seat to challenge Starmer." Journalist Allister Heath said Angela Rayner was the most "problematic" rival to Starmer.

He said: "I think there's a high chance she becomes prime minister next year. So in other words, she's by far the biggest threat to him." Tominey said: "She resigned in September, but she now looks like she's going to be a thorn in the PM's side next year."

Tim Stanley, another Telegraph columnist added: "Stronger for having resigned. She had an amazing conference and she didn't even go to the conference." Stanley went on to say he thought the probability of Angela Rayner becoming the next prime minister before the end of this parliament is "pretty high".

He added: "I mean, we've got to mention also that the prime minister lost a deputy leadership contest. that was won by the so-called soft left candidate. So, he's wounded."

Annabel Denham, The Telegraph's senior political commentator, agreed, saying: "Angela Rayner is definitely the biggest one to watch."

Angela Rayner has been the Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne since 2015. She served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 2020 to 2025.

After the 2024 election, she was also Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government until her resignation in September 2025.

She resigned from both roles after a report concluded she had broken the Ministerial Code by underpaying stamp duty on a property purchase, which she had admitted to.

Keir Starmer told the Commons Liaison Committee that speculation of a leadership challenge are "rife" while adding that briefings against Cabinet and Budget leaks were "completely unacceptable".

He said he had "no reason" to think that staff at No. 10 had been involved in the briefings, but said he would act if necessary after the inquiry.