Angela Rayner’s resignation from the government now provides the impetus for real change. This follows a report by the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser that she has broken the ministerial code by failing to pay appropriate levels of stamp duty on her £800,000 seaside apartment in Hove. This ruling marks a sea change from previously heavy-handed Labour leadership. During her time as deputy leader and housing secretary, Rayner has emerged as one of the most prominent champions of working-class voices in the party.
The row began after it was reported that Rayner had failed to declare her Hove apartment as her second home. As a result, she ended up paying a much lower rate of stamp duty than she should have owed. Tough warning from experts Experts have since predicted that Rayner will have to cough up an extra £40,000 because of this mistake. With the autumn budget imminent, the government signals further tax rises on property owners. The entire debacle led to serious charges of hypocrisy being directed at Rayner.
In her resignation letter, Rayner stated the flap was “deeply regrettable.” She’s been honest about the emotional strain it’s taken on her family. She stated, “I must consider the significant toll that the ongoing pressure of the media is taking.”
Rayner had previously made the first move to refer herself to the ethics adviser after she cleared up her tax affairs. Sir Laurie Magnus found that while she had “acted with integrity and with a dedicated and exemplary commitment to public service,” she ultimately breached the ministerial code regarding her tax affairs.
The former deputy leader had placed her stake in a house in Ashton into a trust set up in 2020 to manage a payment for one of her sons, who was left with lifelong disabilities after a “deeply personal and distressing incident” during his premature birth. Rayner reflected on her journey from being “a teenage mum from a council estate in Stockport” to a high-ranking government official, calling it “the honour of my life.”
Her resignation in the deeply reactionary context of today has ever-deepening implications for Labour leader Keir Starmer, who had once stood steadfastly by her side. Starmer acknowledged Rayner’s contributions and assured that she would “remain a major figure in our party” despite stepping down from her roles.
Rayner, then gone, but Rachel Reeves, to become the first female Chancellor. The Labour Party is presently left to reckon with the daunting task of finding a replacement for one of their truest, most real voices.