Angela Rayner describes moment she saw note in the Commons saying the Queen was seriously ill

Labour's deputy leader has recalled the moment she saw a note confirming the Queen had fallen seriously ill - before Keir Starmer had to leave the Commons chamber to be briefed.

Angela Rayner said she remembered thinking 'this is going to change everything' when frontbenchers were handed the foreboding message. She said that the note was written 'in plain English' and made it clear how serious the situation was, the Mirror reports.

Speaking on The News Agents podcast, she said: "I read between the lines on that because you don't get a note saying the Queen's unwell if she's got a bit of a cough and cold." She added: "It was kind of the first thought that went from my mind was a personal thought of 'oh my God, this is going to change everything'.

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She said the coronation should be scaled back as a 'kind gesture' to people who are struggling to pay their bills - especially during the winter period. Ms Rayner recalled that the note was handed to Mr Starmer while he was speaking about the cost of living crisis in the Commons.

Describing how she tried to inform her party's leader, Ms Rayner added: "Well I was trying to get the note to him without being too dramatic, but also not knowing exactly what was going on, but that I needed to get him out of the Chamber. But yeah, and then it was only when The Speaker kind of indicated, because 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."

She continued: "So I was kind of waiting for my opportunity to do it. And then I looked over at Mr Speaker and he's giving me the nod of ‘this is actually