She grew up on a council estate, went to a state school – and, unlike many of her colleagues and peers at Westminster, has worked her way up from the bottom. She’s said herself that from the beginning of her working life she’s “always stood up for working people”. There’s no two ways about it: she’s cut from different cloth – or, at least, she was. So, what’s happened?
I have long looked up to Rayner – especially because I, too, am a woman from a working-class background, who has likewise had to fight for position and prove my worth at every level.
I fully believe that, when you get to that point and your situation changes, you should pay things forward – and, for the most part, that’s what Rayner does: offering a platform, raising key issues that impact the masses as well as her constituency and giving a voice to the marginalised.
This story is from the September 24, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the September 24, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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