DEPUTY PM Angela Rayner is facing pressure to hand back £10,000 she received from the trade union at the centre of the Birmingham bin strike.

Ms Rayner is in charge of trying to end the ­dispute.

But she accepted a £10,000 donation from the Unite union last year to help bankroll her general election campaign.

Conservative frontbencher Kevin Hollinrake has written to Labour demanding to know if Ms Rayner will now hand the money back.

He said: “Rats the size of cats are roaming the streets. Rubbish is piling up at an astonishing rate.

“It’s not just a local scandal. It’s a national embarrassment — and a public health emergency.

“The city is being held hostage by Unite.

“Unite has donated tens of millions to Labour.

“Since Keir Starmer became leader, Labour has received over £30million from the unions.

“More concerning still, Angela Rayner, the Secretary of State overseeing the resolution of this strike, received £10,000 from Unite during the last general election.”

“This situation brings up significant concerns about possible conflicts of interest, questioning if Labour ministers are prioritizing union leaders over Birmingham residents.”

Ms Rayner has urged the union to accept what she said was a “significantly improved” pay offer from the council.

She also said the strike was “causing misery and disruption to residents”.

Labour stated: “As the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized, the council has presented a much-enhanced offer, and we strongly encourage Unite to halt their action, accept the proposal, and conclude this situation.”