Angela Rayner has resigned as UK Deputy Prime Minister, Housing Secretary, and Deputy Labour Leader after it emerged she failed to pay sufficient tax on her £800,000 flat in Hove.
Her resignation follows advice from the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, who said Rayner had “acted with integrity” but breached the ministerial code by failing to seek specialist tax advice.
In her resignation letter to the Prime Minister, Rayner admitted she had “not met the highest standards” and expressed deep regret for not seeking further advice, given her position and personal circumstances. She accepted “full responsibility” and has since contacted HMRC to settle the additional £40,000 in stamp duty, as well as facing a possible £12,000 fine.
Her departure has triggered a wider Cabinet reshuffle. David Lammy becomes Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood moves to the Home Office, Yvette Cooper becomes Foreign Secretary, and Steve Reed takes over Housing.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer praised Rayner as a “trusted colleague and true friend,” while acknowledging the pain of her decision. He said she would remain a “major figure” in the Labour Party.
The resignation is a major political setback for the Prime Minister, sparking questions about Labour’s stability and opening the door to a potentially divisive deputy leadership contest.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch claimed Rayner’s resignation exposed Starmer’s “weakness,” while Reform UK’s Nigel Farage told supporters: “You can’t be housing secretary and avoid £40,000 of stamp duty.”
Rayner, first elected in 2015, had become one of the most powerful figures in government and was popular among Labour backbenchers. But her political fortunes changed after newspapers questioned her tax affairs, ultimately leading to her downfall.
