“DEEPLY REGRET MY DECISION”
Rayner, 45, was the eighth, and the most senior, ministerial departure from Starmer‘s team, and the most damaging yet after the British leader offered her his support when she was first accused of avoiding 40,000 pounds ($54,000) in tax.
Rayner apologised to Starmer in her resignation letter. “I deeply regret my decision to not seek additional specialist tax advice,” she said.
She also stepped down as a minister and as deputy party leader, a position that Lammy will now be in pole position for.
The independent adviser on ministerial standards ruled Rayner had broken the ministerial code – rules to ensure the conduct of politicians meet the standards of public service – because she failed to heed a warning within legal advice, which she said she had relied on to seek expert advice on her complicated financial situation.
Rayner’s resignation has put more pressure on Starmer, with Labour trailing Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK in the polls.
Starmer faces difficult state spending and tax choices as he seeks to repair the centre-left party’s image after they also came under fire for accepting expensive items including clothing and concert tickets from donors, before they were forced to water down cuts to the welfare budget.
“DEEP CRISIS”
On the first day of Reform’s party conference in the central English city of Birmingham, Farage brought forward his speech by three hours to address Rayner’s resignation.
He said the Labour government was in “deep crisis” and the next election may take place in 2027, implying that Labour, which has a big majority and does not need to call an election until 2029, may find itself unable to govern.
“Despite all the promises that this would be a new, different type of politics, is as bad, if not worse, than the one that went before,” he told the audience to loud applause.
Rayner had registered a new home in the southern English seaside resort of Hove as her primary residence, after she sold her share of her family home in northern England to a trust that was set up for one of her sons, who has lifelong disabilities.
Rayner said she had believed she would not have to pay the higher rate of tax charged when buying a second home. But after media reports drew attention to the fact she may have avoided 40,000 pounds, she took further legal advice and said she had made a mistake and would pay the additional tax.
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