Rayner reveals she mistakenly opened a bottle of whisky precious to Starmer
The Deputy Prime minister also said she and her boss’s bond had been strengthened in recent months.
Angela Rayner has revealed she mistakenly opened a precious bottle of whisky given to the Prime Minister by a late friend.
The Deputy Prime Minister said she had joined Sir Keir Starmer for a drink at his No 10 flat one evening and opened the bottle when he left the room.
“When he comes back, I’m going, ‘Keir! This is such nice whisky!’ And he’s standing there, looking at me, going, ‘Errrrr…’,” Ms Rayner told The Times.
The bottle, a gift from a friend of the Prime Minister who died four years ago, was never meant to be opened.
Ms Rayner said she was “mortified” by the incident, in a wide-ranging interview.
The Deputy Prime minister told The Times she and her boss’s bond had been strengthened in recent months as they realised the isolating nature of their jobs.
The claim contrasts with previous suggestions of a rift between the Prime Minister and his deputy.
“This isn’t the life we grew up in — it’s more restrictive,” Ms Rayner said.
“Keir has been incredibly supportive of me and I think I’ve given him some support too. We’ve been on the journey together; we’ve grown together… There’s not many people who can relate to what me and Keir are doing now,” she added.
The Deputy Prime Minister also praised the King for his sense of humour.
In adherence to royal protocol, Ms Rayner would not reveal what prompted a laugh from Charles when asked about a photograph of her and the King.
She told The Times: “But he’s got a really good sense of humour. I know it sounds strange, because he is the King and comes from a really different background from me, but he’s incredibly easy to get along with.
“Sometimes you have work a bit harder for a conversation, but that’s never been the case with me and him.”
