As the Labour Party Conference got underway this weekend, a moment from deputy leader Angela Rayner’s Channel 4 interview went viral after she was hilariously interrupted by a phone call from an extremely important person on the other end: her mum.
Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool began on Sunday, 7 October, following a week where headlines were dominated by the Conservatives once again posting up at the Midland Hotel, announcing the scrapping of HS2 to Manchester and Sacha Lord posting huge adverts about Rishi Sunak in the city.
We think it’s safe to say their arrival in 0161 wasn’t met the warmest of welcome with protests just outside, various ministers being grilled for lies and inaccuracies during their respective speeches, as well as reportedly being thrown out of a bar in the Gay Village following an incident with a drag act.
In contrast, this behind-the-scenes moment from Angela Rayner and her mother, Lynn Bowen, has tickled countless people online in what is being described as not only a simply heart-warming and “relatable” moment but also one of the most stereotypically Northern exchanges you could imagine.
Angela Rayner answers a call from her mum mid-interview.
As the Stockport-born MP for Ashton-under-Lyne goes on to explain, her mum never typically chooses to ring her so the 43-year-old’s first thought was that “something must be really up with her”.
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Wearing an expression that anyone would recognise if their mum has ever called for a natter at the most inconvenient time possible (that’s just what they do sometimes), the people behind the camera begin to chuckle as her mum still stays on the phone after an obvious hint to end the call from her daughter.
The face she pulls went her mum still doesn’t hang up and just says, “You’re alright, I was just congratulating you, you did well” is absolute gold; that classic mix of exasperation whilst still having to be polite because they literally gave birth to you.
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The whole thing only gets funnier when she says that her mum isn’t usually up at this time but is “going to Llandudno today” — again, the kind of throwaway comment that you expect to be thrown into conversation after popping into your nan’s for a brew.
Rayner began caring for her mum and siblings at a young age following bouts of depression. (Credit: ITV News)
While there are some people online suggesting that the clip might be staged in an attempt for some good PR spin, mainly due to the fact she decides to put it on speakerphone, the majority are labelling it a “relatable”, “genuine” “down-to-earth” and “working class” moment.
One person commented, “I think Angela Rayner is awesome. She cares enough about her mother to answer. In the middle of an interview. Because her mum’s important. Love it.”, while another added, “A real person as a politician. Refreshing in the UK but it shouldn’t be”. Several simply said, “Rayner for PM”.
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One thing’s for sure, we’ll never get tired of hearing a Manc accent on a politician. Rayner received similar praise for her speech at the Labour conference, which was filled with quips at the Tory party’s expense and focus on restoring fair wages, proper social housing and making misogyny “a hate crime”.
Government sets up taskforce to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care in England
Emily Sergeant
A taskforce aiming to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care in England has been set up by the Government.
The new Maternity and Neonatal taskforce – which is chaired by the Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting – will tackle ‘deep-rooted inequalities’ and deliver urgent action on the recommendations of the independent national investigation into maternity and neonatal services in England.
This means that women, babies, and families will receive safer and higher-quality care from the NHS in the long run.
According to the Government, the expert panel includes families, senior NHS leaders, royal colleges, campaigners, academics, and third sector representatives.
The Government has set up a taskforce to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care / Credit: Jimmy Conover (via Unsplash)
As part of the selection process, the Government has been working closely with harmed and bereaved families to ensure their personal experiences were reflected, and those who have been chosen collectively have the clinical expertise, lived experience, and sector know-how to deliver the changes so desperately needed for families.
Starting next week, the Secretary of State will chair regular roundtables with the new taskforce – with the first priority to agree its Terms of Reference.
The taskforce will also address recent developments in maternity and neonatal care, including recommendations from the Thirlwall Inquiry, and the independent review into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
📢 National maternity and neonatal investigation to be launched
Too many families have suffered preventable harm.
The investigation will urgently look at services with specific issues and the entire maternity system, making sure each family receives safe and compassionate care. pic.twitter.com/J8XkwGM9dN
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 23, 2025
The taskforce will also be supported by a wider range of experts – as part of ‘expert reference groups’ – that the Government says will bring ‘a broader range’ of perspectives.
“Every woman and baby deserve safe, compassionate care during pregnancy and birth, and the very best start in life,” commented Duncan Burton, who is the Chief Nursing Officer for England.
“Although NHS maternity and neonatal teams work incredibly hard to support women and families every day, we know there is more we must urgently do to improve care and experience.
“I look forward to working with members of the taskforce to improve safety and deliver the best possible outcomes and experience for women, babies, families, and colleagues working in these services.”
Featured Image – Credit: Aditya Romansa (via Unsplash)
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Manchester Piccadilly is closing AGAIN for more improvement works this weekend
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Piccadilly is set to close again for more improvement works this weekend.
In case you hadn’t heard, Manchester Piccadilly train station was closed for nine days back in mid-February while a ‘once-in-a-generation upgrade’ was carried out – with very few train services running in or out of the station in the process, and as you’d expect, widespread disruption caused for those travelling around the region.
But thankfully, after many journeys were impacted for those travelling to and from major destinations like Manchester Airport, and on the West Coast Mainline, the station was back up and running at the end of February, with passengers thanked for their patience in the meantime.
Network Rail invested £7.9m into the major upgrade, with the main points of action being to improve tracks, points, and signalling systems on the southern approach to Manchester Piccadilly station.
At the time it was announced that the station had reopened, passengers were alerted to further minor closures in the future, and one of those closures is set to take place this weekend.
🗓️ On 1 & 22 March, we’ll complete follow-up work following our £7.9m track upgrade at Manchester Piccadilly.
🛤️ Morning journeys will be disrupted on those days, with rail replacement buses in operation to keep you moving.
This Sunday (22 March), routine follow-up work will take place to secure the new railway foundation stone through a process called tamping, and this will impact trains until 1pm, so passengers are advised to check online ahead of time if planning to travel.
These upgrades are said to help deliver ‘smoother, more reliable’ journeys for passengers in the future, but during this time, trains from the south and east will not run into Manchester Piccadilly.
All station facilities at Manchester Piccadilly will remain open on the day, including the ticket office, Passenger Assist lounge, toilets, and retail outlets, and Metrolink trams will continue to stop at the station too.
Northern has confirmed that it will continue to run a reduced timetable on services to Liverpool Lime Street, Blackpool North, and Chester.
Danny Jones -
9th October 2023 
