U.K. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner resigned Friday after an inquiry concluded she failed to meet ministerial standards in connection with a recent property purchase.
Rayner admitted she did not pay enough tax when she bought an £800,000 ($1 million) apartment in Hove earlier this summer. The report found she acted in good faith but should have sought specific tax advice.
Resignation Letter
“I take full responsibility for this error,” Rayner wrote to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. She added it was never her intention “to do anything other than pay the right amount.”
Starmer expressed sadness at her decision, praising her achievements but agreeing she made the right choice.
Inquiry Findings
Rayner referred herself to Laurie Magnus, the independent adviser on ministerial standards, who reported on Friday that she acted with integrity but still breached the ministerial code.
She said she also had to “consider the significant toll that the ongoing pressure of the media is taking on my family.”
Reports suggest Rayner avoided roughly £40,000 in stamp duty tax. She attributed the mistake to “complex living arrangements” following her 2023 divorce and her son’s disabilities.
Political Fallout
Rayner, 45, rose from single teenage mother to trade union official, lawmaker, and deputy prime minister. She was seen as a likely successor to Starmer and was popular with voters who often felt disconnected from him.
Her past criticisms of tax avoidance, especially under the previous Conservative government, left her open to charges of hypocrisy. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Rayner’s position was “untenable,” adding, “The truth is simple, she dodged tax. She lied about it.”
Labour in Trouble
Rayner’s departure forces Labour to pick a new deputy leader. Starmer is reshuffling his Cabinet in hopes of moving past the scandal.
The Labour government, in power since July 2024, has already seen support slip due to controversies over welfare reform and concerns about high levels of immigration.
