Angela Rayner pleads for ‘soulmate’ boyfriend to stay as Labour MP after deselection

Angela Rayner has said her “soulmate” boyfriend Sam Tarry should remain a Labour MP after his deselection by members.

Mr Tarry was blocked from running in Ilford South in a ballot last October, as activists instead chose a council leader to fight the next election in the constituency.

He is a close political ally of Ms Rayner, the deputy Labour leader, and the pair have been romantically linked since her separation from a union boss.

Speaking at a fundraising dinner in Mr Tarry’s constituency on Wednesday, Ms Rayner said: “If the Labour Party doesn’t stand for fairness then what do we stand for? He is one of the most kind-hearted, amazing individuals and he’s also my soulmate.”

In remarks first reported by the Guido Fawkes website, Ms Rayner added that Mr Tarry’s constituents were “incredibly lucky to have him as your MP”.

“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 … That’s what you want from an MP, an MP that really cares about his area, and he really does.

“So I hope that he continues because it would be an absolute, absolute tragedy for the Labour Party to lose someone like Sam as an MP.”

'Manufactured political circus'

Mr Tarry has claimed the vote that resulted in his deselection was a “manufactured political circus” and confirmed his intention to formally challenge the result.

Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg last month, he said: “I’m absolutely challenging the integrity of the result, and I fully intend to be standing as a Labour candidate at the next election, absolutely.”

The party has insisted it is confident in both the result and the integrity of the process. Jas Athwal, who currently leads Redbridge Borough Council, will be its candidate in Ilford South at the next general election, which is expected next autumn.

Mr Tarry was a shadow transport minister in Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet until last July, when he was sacked by the Labour leader for appearing on a rail strike picket.

He contradicted party policy by publicly backing the RMT union strikes and giving a series of unauthorised broadcast interviews from the picket line.

After his sacking, Mr Tarry declined to directly criticise Sir Keir but said barons were “fuming” about his dismissal and said they were on a “direct collision course with the Labour Party”.

He has since doubled down on his support for recent industrial action – which the Labour leadership has refused to back – by tweeting his solidarity with striking junior doctors, teachers and postmen.

He is among 34 members of the Socialist Campaign Group of MPs, which is largely made up of staunchly Left-wing Labour backbenchers.