Angela Rayner has dismissed increasing speculation that she plans to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour Party leadership - as the Deputy Prime Minister states she "never" wants to be the leader of the Party.
It comes after reports Rayner sent a secret memo to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, pushing for tax rises instead of spending cuts.
The memo, which was submitted in mid-March, contained 10 proposals. Eight of these were tax rises and two were benefit changes.
Details include completely removing Inheritance Tax (IHT) Relief for AIM Shares and tightening migrant access to the welfare system.
Rayner said she 'never' wants to be Labour leader
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Rayner said the memo was "absolutely not" some kind of "mini manifesto".
Speaking to Sky News, the Deputy Prime Minister made it clear that she "did not want to be leader of the Labour Party" and felt "very happy and honoured" to be in her current position.
She said: "I've got a lot in my in-tray to prove that I can do the job that I'm doing and deliver on the milestones for people in this country. That's what I'm interested in."
When pushed on her lack of leadership intentions, Rayner explained: "I have no desire to go for the leadership of the Labour Party.
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"My desire is to deliver for the people of this country who have given me opportunities beyond what I could have dreamed of."
Further details of the memo included freezing the additional rate of income tax (45 per cent) on income above £125,140.
The Chancellor has announced that income tax thresholds will remain frozen until 2028.
Reeves ignored proposals from Rayner in her spring budget - indicating a possible split at the top of Government.
Reeves ignored Rayner's proposals in her spring budget
PASpeculation over the Labour leadership comes after Starmer suffered a hammering blow in the local council elections.
Starmer's party lost two-thirds of the council seats it had in 2021 and the Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary seat to Reform UK by just six votes.
According to a YouGov poll, just 23 per cent of Britons now have a favourable view of the Prime Minister.
It indicated that 69 per cent of Britons have an unfavourable opinion of Starmer, with growing pressure mounting on his shoulders.
