Angela Rayner meets pope in first international visit since appointing advisor to 'boost profile'
28 November 2024, 08:40
Angela Rayner met with the Pope this week in her first international trip since appointing a foreign affairs adviser to boost her image worldwide.
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The Deputy PM was all smiles as she greeted Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday.
It comes after reports claimed Ms Rayner had hired a civil servant to act as her foreign affairs adviser, organising international trips and building relationships with ministers across the globe.
Following her meeting with the religious leader, MS Rayner said: “I was honoured to be able to greet His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican this morning.
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“Pope Francis has shown great leadership on addressing the global issues of our time and building bridges of dialogue among faiths.”
Chris Trott, Britain’s ambassador to the Holy See, added: “Thank you DPM [Deputy Prime Minister] for your visit.”
The Deputy PM, who is also Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, is set to host a joint UK-Italy event at the British embassy today.
Ms Rayner’s trip to Italy meant she wasn’t present in the House of Commons to hear new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch take aim at her workers’ rights reforms bill.
Mocking the Deputy PM, Ms Badenoch said: “Following his Budget, the head of McVitie’s has said that it has been harder to understand what the case for investment in the UK is.
“So while the Prime Minister has been hobnobbing in Brazil, businesses have been struggling to digest his Budget.
“Isn’t it the case that the Employment Rights Bill shows that it is not only the ginger nut that is causing him problems?”
