From Poverty to Power: Angela Rayner’s Inspiring Journey to UK’s Deputy Prime Minister

Angela Rayner, 44, a UK deputy prime minister, is gaining attention for her extraordinary life journey. Although she is now the most powerful woman in the UK, her family has always lived in poverty. She also dropped out of school at 16 because of her pregnancy.

The UK Prime Minister announced that Rayner would be appointed Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Equalities, Housing, and Communities.

The UK government recently shifted from the Conservative Party to the Labour Party for the first time in 14 years. As a result, the public was interested in the new cabinet members. The new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, also came from a humble background, which is unusual in politics and dominated by elites.

Rayner grew up in a modest background, with her family residing in public housing in Stockport and frequently struggling financially. She recounted instances when their power was cut off due to unpaid bills. Her father was unemployed, and her mother battled bipolar disorder. As a result, caregiving responsibilities fell to Rayner from a young age. Her mother was illiterate, further complicating the family’s situation and limiting Rayner’s educational opportunities.

At 16, Rayner became pregnant and dropped out of school. After leaving school, she was often told that she would “amount to nothing.” Rayner worked part-time and graduated college with the help of the “Sure Start Center.” It is a welfare program for low-income families run by the Labour government and became a caregiver. At the center, she worked as a union member, fighting for improved conditions and rights.

In 2015, Rayner entered Parliament, becoming the first female Member of Parliament in the 180-year history of the Ashton-under-Lyne constituency. When the Labour Party was the opposition, she held positions such as the Education Secretary and the Women’s Secretary in the shadow cabinet (provisional cabinet). In 2017, she became a grandmother at 37.

Rayner faced criticism for her strong northern accent. However, she responded, “I just speak like people from where I grew up,” and expressed her hope that “people who have been told to ‘know their place’ like me realize that they have a place in public positions.”