Keir Starmer was giving his response to the government’s statement on energy and the cost of living crisis when Nadhim Zahawi, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whispered in the Prime Minister’s ear before handing her a folded note on September 8. A similar note was given to Rayner, Starmer’s deputy. Rainer revealed the dilemma she faced as she considered how to interrupt the Labor leader while the TV cameras were rolling. He told the News Agents podcast, presented by Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel, on Wednesday that the note was written in “plain English” and said: “The Queen is unwell and Keir needs to leave the room as soon as possible to be informed. “ Rayner and Starmer were briefed by Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary. At 12.20pm, Buckingham Palace announced the Queen was unwell and doctors were concerned about her health, with senior members of the royal family traveling to Balmoral Castle in Scotland to be with her. At 6:30 p.m. that day, the Palace announced that the monarch had died at the age of 96. How concern about the Queen spread in the House of Commons during the debate – video Reiner told the podcast: “I read between the lines that, because you don’t get a note saying the Queen is unwell if she has a bit of a cough or a cold.” The MP for Ashton-under-Lyne added: “I was trying to get the memo [Starmer] without being too dramatic, but also not knowing exactly what was going on, but I had to get him out of the room. “I kept the note and I was trying to think of how to get it to Keir without completely ruining what he’s trying to say, because if someone tries to give you information when you’re in the middle of speaking it’s a distraction, so I waited for the opportunity to do”. Rayner said that when she passed the note, she looked and caught the eye of Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons speaker, who indicated that she should speak to Sir Keir immediately. “He gives me the nod, ‘this is really, really urgent,’” he said. “So I knew it was a very important moment.” The deputy Labor leader said she was also concerned about how and when news of the Queen’s death might get out and did not want it to happen before Starmer was informed. “If Keir was at full throttle when the news broke, then I haven’t protected him from the circumstances.”
