She was appointed Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Shadow First Secretary of State and Chair of the Labour Party in the following days.[17][18][19] In October 2020 Rayner called Conservative MP Chris Clarkson "scum" as he was giving a speech in Parliament.[20] She later apologised.[21][22] Clarkson had been critical of Andy Burnham, who had been seeking financial support for Greater Manchester following local restrictions on businesses being introduced.