Angela Rayner's childhood in poverty

Labour's Deputy Leader Angela Rayner has opened up about her difficult childhood growing up in poverty, caring for her mother after her mother's mental health dipped, and becoming a mum herself when she was 16.

Speaking to Cathy Newman as part of 'The Ladder' series, the Shadow First Secretary also said her leader Keir Starmer was "forensic" but urged him to "do more about his personal life", and talk about what motivates him.

On her childhood: "I grew up on a council estate, my mum and dad didn't work, so we had a giro once a fortnight. I was poor, but I didn't really see myself as poor."

On being bullied: "I didn't have big brothers and sisters and loads of cousins that would look after me if I was going to get bullied, and I was a ginger kid as well. So that kind of put you in a category of getting bullied again. So it was kind of difficult. I didn't have many friends, and we didn't have much money, but it was what it was."

On caring for her mum: "Often she'd row with my dad… my dad used to be really frustrated and shout at her a lot. She was really upset. She was on the bed and I thought she was saying that she just didn't want to be here anymore. And I remember sleeping on the bottom of my mum's bed that night because my dad didn't come home. And I was just worried that if I left her, she wouldn’t be there."

On Rebecca Long-Bailey's reaction to Rayner winning the Deputy Leadership contest: "Oh, no, she was so happy for me"

On Keir Starmer: "If Keir Starmer did something wrong, I'd think nothing of calling him out on it, let me tell you... Keir's forensic but he doesn't do much about his personal life. But if you know what motivates Keir, you'll know what an amazing individual he is. You know, looking after his mum who was, as you know, very, very poorly. I can disagree with him on the point of policy but his core principles, and what motivates him, is tremendous. I have nothing but respect for him."