Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner is reported to have ended her relationship with left-wing MP Sam Tarry.
Ms Rayner, 43, is said to have broken up with Mr Tarry, 41, just one day before she appeared in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
The mother-of-three, who previously referred to Mr Tarry as her ‘soulmate’, is said to have told friends she wishes to start a new chapter, The Mirror reports.
A friend said: ‘She’s been through a lot in her life but Ange is as tough as nails. You saw that this week, when she put her secret heartache aside and took the charge to the Tories at the despatch box.’
Another friend added: ‘Ange has a lot of friends right across the Labour Party looking out for her. They’ve really rallied round.
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner is reported to have ended her relationship with left-wing MP Sam Tarry
Mr Tarry, MP for Ilford South, was sacked as a Labour shadow minister by Sir Keir in July following a row over a TV interview he gave from a picket line outside a train station
‘Breaking up is never easy but she’s bouncing back and getting on with the job of representing people. She’ll take this in her stride.’
Despite the break-up, Ms Rayner gave no sign anything was amiss as she led Labour’s response to the second day of debate over the King’s Speech.
She made a withering attack on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, warning the Conservatives he was ‘too weak to deliver the change our country needs’.
As recently as April, Ms Rayner attended a fundraising dinner in Mr Tarry’s ilford South constituency, where she heaped praise upon him. She told those assembled: ‘He is one of the most kind-hearted, amazing individuals and he’s also my soulmate.’
‘And I actually think you’re incredibly lucky to have him as your MP because I get to see a lot of Sam, and I get to see a lot of behind the scenes, and I see how much he cares.’
Regarding the split, a close friend reportedly said: ‘Sometimes people turn out not to be who you thought they were.
Mr Tarry, MP for Ilford South, was sacked as a Labour shadow minister by Sir Keir in July following a row over a TV interview he gave from a picket line outside a train station during rail strikes.
He was then deselected by local Labour members in October after they voted for a rival candidate to contest the Ilford South seat at the next general election.
Mr Tarry, who described himself as ‘utterly crestfallen’ by the vote, has since battled against the outcome and lashed out at a ‘manufactured political circus’.
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner risked a row with her boss Sir Keir Starmer after she spoke out in support of her ‘soulmate’ boyfriend MP Sam Tarry in April
Ms Rayner has previously been reluctant to publicly confirm her relationship with Mr Tarry, the Ilford South MP
Mr Tarry was sacked as a Labour shadow minister by Sir Keir in July following a row over a TV interview he gave from a picket line outside a train station during rail strikes
In October, Mr Tarry was snubbed by local Labour members as their general election candidate in favour of Jas Athwal, who is the leader of Redbridge Council
The former trade union officer, who helped organise Jeremy Corbyn’s successful Labour leadership campaign in 2016, questioned the ‘integrity’ of the result and demanded the party hand over ‘full information’ about who voted.
He had previously instructed lawyers in a failed attempt to halt the deselection process.
Mr Tarry, who arranged last night’s gala dinner to raise funds for ‘local causes and campaigning’, was snubbed by local Labour members as their general election candidate in favour of Jas Athwal, who is the leader of Redbridge Council.
Senior Labour MP Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, backed Mr Athwal’s campaign to be the party’s Ilford South candidate at the next election.
Sir Keir sacked Mr Tarry as shadow transport minister last summer for doing interviews ‘without permission’ and ‘making up policy on the hoof’.
Mr Tarry’s appearance outside Euston station in support of striking rail workers came in defiance of the Labour leader’s ban on party frontbenchers joining picket lines.
Ms Rayner was married to Mark Rayner, a trade union official, before they separated in 2020.
She has three children and became a grandmother in 2017 at the age of 37, which saw her dubbed ‘Grangela’.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
