Angela Rayner presses Cwu delegates in Bournemouth over Labour pace
Angela Rayner addressed CWU delegates on the second day of the union’s Biannual Conference in Bournemouth, where the cwu was debating its political relationship with Labour. She told delegates Labour needs to move faster to improve people’s lives, linking the party’s direction to the union’s agenda.
Bournemouth conference debate
Dave Ward said it felt to many people in the country that the Labour Party had completely disconnected from working-class people, before adding that “one person who definitely understands the needs of working-class people is Angela Rayner.” He also thanked her, saying, “Angela always stood by the movement in this period.”
Rayner answered with a blunt assessment of the weekend and the party’s position. She said she had been “crawling through mud” over a “bruising few days,” and told delegates that “working class people are once again paying the price for decisions they didn’t make.”
Rayner on Labour pace
Rayner said the prime minister acknowledged the frustration that exists, but argued that “Tweaks won’t fix the fundamental challenges our country faces – the government needs to up pace to put measures in place that make people’s lives better.” She added, “Labour exist to make people better off, and that is not happening fast enough.”
She also said, “But we will be judged by our actions, not just words,” and described the system as rigged against people across the UK. For delegates, the immediate test is whether the party turns that message into action quickly enough to satisfy unions that want movement on pay, rights and living standards.
Employment Rights Act support
Rayner said she was “born in Stockport” and “raised in the trade union movement,” adding that the movement taught her strong values and collective work can get things done. She congratulated CWU members for developing the New Deal for Workers campaign and said the Employment Rights Act was developed by the trade union movement.
She said, “It’s clear – there is no way we would have had the New Deal for Workers campaign in law without the affiliated unions.” She also said the campaign would be delivered with affiliated unions, tying the legislation directly to the union’s organising work.
Nigel Farage and Reform
Rayner said “the rise of Nigel Farage and Reform means that a serious struggle is ahead for the labour movement.” That warning sat alongside her broader argument that economies can grow, and people can thrive, when governments stay true to their values and put people first.
For CWU delegates in Bournemouth, the speech set up a clear test: whether Labour can move at the pace Rayner demanded while keeping trade unions inside the party’s orbit. Ward’s criticism of Labour’s distance from working-class voters and Rayner’s appeal for faster delivery left the conference with the same unresolved pressure point, only sharper.
