Angela Rayner appeared to position herself as more pro-business ahead of the inevitable leadership challenge.

Angela Rayner speaking in Liverpool (Image: Pool)

Angela Rayner has launched an astonishing attack on Chancellor Rachel Reeves over her sky-high taxes crippling British high streets and businesses.

The former Deputy Prime Minister told entrepreneurs at a conference in Liverpool that the Chancellor’s constant changes to rules and taxes on businesses risk undermining “confidence” in politics and politicians.

Ms Rayner appeared to position herself as more pro-business ahead of the expected Labour leadership contest, after years of being portrayed as a left-winger who would send markets into freefall should she enter No. 10.

The top Labour politician blasted: “Over the last few weeks, I’ve spoken candidly with businesses in my own constituency, and many beyond it, and they say it’s a huge challenge that they’re facing, and it’s a challenge just to stay afloat.

“Customers aren’t just there in the way they used to be, as business rates remain punishingly high, energy bills soar and costs in your supply chains and VAT bite.”

Rachel Reeves was slammed by Ms Rayner (Image: Getty)

She compared the UK Government’s damaging business rates hike with European governments, who “recognise that hospitality and nightlife required extended support – not handouts”

Ms Rayner called on the Chancellor to come up with a plan “to aid recovery, to stabilise the costs, to give businesses breathing space.”

“I believe the government should look at how to support the night economy to thrive once again. Not ideology but pragmatically.”

Ms Rayner also issued an astonishing criticism of rising costs for pubs, citing the increasing minimum wage as a “challenge” for them to deal with.

She told the audience: “Too often people see businesses as all the same – they’re not. I talked about the challenges – it’s not even the double whammy, it’s not even the triple whammy, it’s business rates, the challenges on VAT, yes the minimum wage and living wage going up, the cost of energy.

“We’ve got to start looking at the intersectionality of all these challenges and start relieving them.”

During her time in government Ms Rayner personally oversaw rises in the minimum wage, and hiked operating costs for pubs and other hospitality venues with her Workers’ Rights legislation.

Andrew Griffith, the Tories’ shadow Business Secretary, blasted: “Today Angela Rayner has finally recognised the cumulative impact this Government’s anti-business policies have had on the economy.

“But these words ring hollow given she was the principal architect of the job-destroying (Un)Employment Rights Bill.

“Only the Conservatives have the team, the plan and the leadership to reverse the job-destroying elements of the Employment Rights Bill and get Britain working again.”

Ms Rayner’s intervention on the crisis facing hospitality venues came after a wave of fury from pubs in response to a major hike in business rates, that saw some venues’ rates rise by over 100%.

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Ms Rayner’s attack on Reeves echoed criticisms from Kemi Badenoch in recent days (Image: Getty)

By the end of December, more than 1,000 British pubs said they had banned all Labour MPs from their doors.

Yesterday, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused Labour of a “shameful assault” on the high street amid warnings of a pandemic-like apocalypse for small businesses.

Vowing to end the scourge of boarded-up shops, which she blames on Labour’s punishing JobsTax and sky-high business rates, Ms Badenoch told the Express: “This Government is hammering our high streets out of existence.

“I’ve spoken to businesses across the country, all of whom say that Labour’s endless tax rises and red tape are making it so much harder for them to stay afloat. This is a shameful assault on the very heart of so many communities, and it cannot continue.”