Angela Rayner has revealed the contents of her version of the mysterious notes that were passed urgently among MPs in the Commons shortly before it was announced that the Queen had died.
The passing of the notes - including one to new Prime Minister after she had delivered an energy statement containing the biggest economic intervention in British peacetime - was the first public indication that something was amiss.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was delivering his response when Nadhim Zahawi, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, entered the chamber and squeezed between Ms Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng, the Chancellor. He whispered into the Prime Minister’s ear before handing her a note folded into a square.
A similar note was passed to deputy Labour leader Ms Rayner, who had the task of making Sir Keir aware of the dramatic events as the leader responded to the Prime Minister in full view of the television cameras. She told the News Agents podcast, presented by Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel, that the note said: “The Queen is unwell and Keir needs to leave the chamber as soon as possible to be briefed.”
Shortly afterwards, at 12.20pm, Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen was unwell and doctors were concerned for her health, with senior members of the Royal family dashing to her side. Describing the moment she first realised that the monarch’s death was imminent, Ms Rayner said: “I read between the lines on that, because you don’t get a note saying the Queen is unwell if she’s got a bit of a cough or a cold.
“I was trying to get the note to him [Sir Keir] without being too dramatic, but also not knowing exactly what was going on, but I needed to get him out of the chamber. I kept the note and I was trying to think, how am I going to get it to Keir without totally ruining what he’s trying to say, because if someone is trying to give you information when you’re in the middle of speaking it’s the most distracting thing, so I was waiting for the opportunity to do it.”
When Ms Rayner looked over and caught the eye of Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, he indicated that she needed to get on with it. “He’s giving me the nod of ‘this is actually quite urgent’,” she said. “So I kind of knew that it was quite an important moment.”
Ms Rayner said she was also concerned that news of the Queen’s death might emerge before Sir Keir had been briefed. “If Keir was at full throttle when the news broke, then I haven’t protected him from the circumstances,” she added. After leaving the chamber, Ms Rayner and Sir Keir were briefed by Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary, and they learned of the Queen's death shortly before it was announced at 6.30pm.
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