ANGELA Rayner called Prince Andrew “that nonce” in an astonishing rant after his friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was exposed, according to a new book.
Referring to discussions on whether to dump Andrew from the monarchy, she reportedly said: “I’m not going to vote to keep that nonce on… I can’t go back to my constituency and say, yeah, I support that.”
The most damaging comment from a senior MP about a member of the royal family was today revealed in a book about Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour.
In a chapter on Rayner, from the book titled Get In, which is being serialised by The Times and The Sunday Times, authors Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund tell how forcefully the now Deputy Prime Minister dealt with royal issues after the Queen died.
As the opposition’s Commons spokeswoman on questions relating to the monarchy, she reportedly advocated excluding Andrew from royal duties entirely after allegations emerged he sexually abused a 17-year-old and had a close relationship with Epstein — which he has denied.
In 2022, Andrew paid accuser Virginia Giuffre an undisclosed sum, reported to be £12million, to settle her claim for sex assault without admission of wrongdoing.
SHE WANTED HIM GONE
According to her adviser, Ms Rayner, 44, said: “I know how difficult it is to be in a big, dysfunctional family where you’ve got the black sheep, they’re damaging to you but they’re still your family.”
But she wanted him gone.
In the book, an adviser recalled: “She was very actively reaching out to the Palace, and said she thought this was a huge problem, and that the Government needed to address it.
“She’s not anti-monarchist, but she doesn’t like a paedo.”
After her comments, Ms Rayner was said to have been summoned for a Zoom meeting with Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.
The book claims: “After that conversation, she went quiet. She never ever spoke about the royals like that again.”
It comes after emails emerged this week of Andrew, 64, telling Epstein in February 2011 to “keep in close touch”, despite claiming in his Newsnight interview that he ceased contact in 2010.
He said he didn’t see or speak to Epstein after they were pictured strolling through Central Park in New York City shortly after the paedo was released from jail for child sex offences.
But emails disclosed in a filing by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reveal he continued to contact billionaire paedophile.
In one, he told Epstein: “Keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!”
The exchanges have been exposed as the FCA defends an appeal by former Barclays Bank boss James Edward “Jes” Staley.
ALLEGED CHINESE SPY
Details also emerged of his relationship with alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo.
The duke is understood to have been a “close confidant” of Yang, who was banned from the UK on national security grounds.
An appeal hearing late last year found Yang, 50, had been dishonest about his links to the Chinese state and could exploit his relationship with Andrew and other public figures.
Documents retrieved from the alleged spy’s phone and released on Friday show the duke was previously keen to speak to a senior Chinese minister while planning to launch an international think tank.
Andrew also hoped to leverage the Firm’s reputation to raise $3billion (£2.4bn) of international financing for a pot to “break unproductive technological and talent blockades against China”, the papers revealed.
Meanwhile, the duke could face an FBI probe after Kash Patel, US President Donald Trump’s pick to become the bureau’s new boss, vowed to “do everything” to expose those who worked with Epstein.
US lawyer Spencer Kurvin, who has represented Epstein’s victims, last night said the King should “hand over Andrew for the FBI to fully investigate his conduct”.
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