BREAKING: Rayner Resigns
Angela Rayner has dramatically quit the Cabinet today after an ethics report into her property dealings. The Mail has more.
Ms Rayner is understood to be leaving her post as Deputy PM after Sir Laurie Magnus delivered his verdict to Keir Starmer.
The crucial moment came after furious lawyers accused Ms Rayner of trying to make them “scapegoats” for her underpaying tens of thousands of pounds in stamp duty.
Ms Rayner’s hold on her job had been looking increasingly tenuous after Sir Keir refused to rule out sacking her yesterday, insisting he would “act” on the findings from Sir Laurie.
The departure is another massive blow for the PM, already struggling to stabilise his government after a torrid summer of immigration protests.
She also appears to have resigned as deputy Labour leader – a separate elected post – triggering what could be a deeply divisive contest.
The PM’s official spokesman confirmed that Sir Keir has now received the report from Sir Laurie.
“The Prime Minister will read it and act upon it. He has a reputation for being comprehensive and quick,” the spokesman said.
Senior figures have spent the past few days rallying around Ms Rayner since her extraordinary admission that she had failed to pay enough stamp duty.
Some have even suggested she is being persecuted for her working class background.
Touring broadcast studios this morning, trade minister Douglas Alexander said he believed Ms Rayner was in politics for the “right reasons” – but her tax issues were being put through a “rigorous testing process”.
Ms Rayner gave a tearful interview on Wednesday in which she laid the blame for her troubles on her lawyers.
The row escalated again last night after high street conveyancing firm Verrico & Associates insisted they had acted “on the figures and the information provided by Ms Rayner”.
In a withering condemnation, the family firm’s 82 year-old Managing Director Joanna Verrico said they were being made scapegoats and added: “I have got the arrows stuck in my back to show it.”
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer indicated he is ready to sack Ms Rayner if she has broken the ministerial code.
Update: Rayner was found to have broken the ministerial code. From the Telegraph.
Angela Rayner broke the ministerial code by failing to pay the correct amount of stamp duty on her seaside flat, the ethics watchdog has found.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Sir Laurie Magnus, the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Interests, said: “It is highly unfortunate… that Ms Rayner failed to pay the correct rate of SDLT on this purchase, particularly given her status and responsibilities as the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and as Deputy Prime Minister.
“She believed that she relied on the legal advice she had received, but unfortunately did not heed the caution contained within it, which acknowledged that it did not constitute expert tax advice and which suggested that expert advice be sought.”
Sir Laurie said it was “deeply regrettable that the specific tax advice was not sought”, adding: “I believe Ms Rayner has acted with integrity and with a dedicated and exemplary commitment to public service.
“I consider, however, that her unfortunate failure to settle her SDLT liability at the correct level, coupled with the fact that this was established only following intensive public scrutiny, leads me to advise you that, in relation to this matter, she cannot be considered to have met the “highest possible standards of proper conduct” as envisaged by the Code.
“Accordingly, it is with deep regret that I must advise you that in these circumstances, I consider the Code to have been breached.”
Read Rayner’s resignation letter in full:
And Starmer’s handwritten response:
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I couldn’t care less about her background, working class or otherwise. It’s her actions and integrity that matter here. And both have been found unacceptable.
I don’t care about what she does in her private life, it’s her policies I object to
Shame she resigned- would have been better for us if she had remained
I don’t agree. Elected representatives and those who aspire to lead in any walk of life must follow a more rigorous standard than the generality. I have often found that weak personal morals show up in professional and employment behaviour.
I would certainly prefer those people to behave in an exemplary manner, just don’t think it is very realistic. I am not sure I would want my daughter to marry Donald Trump, but he’s not too bad of a President.
Quite agree.
But, slightly o/t, sorry, Sir kneel has the handwriting of a retarded12 year old.
How embarrassing.
Awful
That’s not an accident, that he dashed off a handwritten letter. Its designed to show something, possibly an attempt at “authenticity” or that he is a sincere human being.
It was drafted, possibly for him, on a computer like anyone else would, so that phrases could be crafted and recrafted, mistakes corrected and grammar and syntax refined. Its what I would do in the circumstances and what I do when I have to handwrite a sensitive personal note, say on a bereavement.
Then it was copied out faithfully as part of the shadow play and tactics that run behind every move that the puppet makes
Virtually nothing in politics at that level happens organically and naturally. Not that it matters but even small things should be seen for what they are
I agree.
DS has been playing up this morning and I timed out before I could amend my previous post.
I mean I agree with EppingBlogger’s post re Elected representatives and those who aspire to lead in any walk of life must follow a more rigorous standard than the generality.
I wonder if she’s been told that HMRC and (quite possibly police relating to the house price sale to the trust) are going to be calling and it’s best to jump before being pushed…
Well the upcoming court case for tax avoidance should be interesting.
What…
Evasion
I doubt she was kicked out by the Labour Leadership, because they don’t have the collective strength of character.
I doubt she resigned, because she doesn’t have the strength of character.
She was pushed out by the real powers that be. And doubtless given a bit of cash as a thank you for leaving.
I agree M A k. She has really upset the Useless Elites by flying solo and has presumably disrupted their timetable.
“Now jog on Angela. Or else !”
£40k?
What ARE you implying, Mr Stubbs?
Some good news. Now, could the rest of our anti-white, anglophobic, and grossly incompetent “government” also resign?
She will always find some work and money on the local street corner. I am sure her bank accounts are singing already – bought and paid for. A cheap one my guess.
Starting with Mad Miliband …
I suppose she has to lose her job because part of the pantomime that is Westminster politics is that these people are good model citizens that care deeply about the public good. And not paying enough taxes I guess is against the rules of the character in the show.
But really who cares. What’s going to change now that she’s resigned? Nothing I didn’t even know what job she had – Head of Housing or something? Had to look it up.
I suppose these things matter deeply to the political class and the people that follow their show closely, like the press. And the public in the cheap seats who like to feel they are part of the show by heckling and shouting and pretending they are really disgusted by someone who doesn’t pay the correct amount of tax.
Meanwhile the lady who put her face to the Online Safety Act (let’s not pretend these things aren’t actually written by civil servant technocrats and their lawyers), is now part of Reform and that’s all ok.
It’s all just one big ridiculous pantomime.
Yes.
100%
I certainly don’t care. My default assumption is that most/all of them are on the take or dishonest in some way or another, even the ones whose stated political views are closer to mine. I care very much about the damage they are doing to the country, the rest is just tittle tattle like what celeb is shagging who.
Mortgage repayments must be a problem, with the change in circumstances?
She has probably been told to go and given a substantial bunce to do so.
I wonder if she’ll declare it to HMRC 🤔😏
Why? She has Union money and a rich boyfriend
“The Prime Minister will read it and act upon it. He has a reputation for being comprehensive and quick,” the spokesman said.
And wrong. Comprehensively and quickly wrong and spineless.
Burnham will be commencing manoeuvres shortly.
To get where she had (before this week) from where she started, she has to have a ruthlessness and cunning that doesn’t match the sickmaking descriptions that her colleagues have been using for her.
Absolutely.
She knows where the bodies are buried.
Lets hope snide Starmer still shares the findings of his report, otherwise this slime-brigade will obfuscate that she did this “to avoid being the news and not because of wrongdoing” spiel
It’s becoming increasingly hard to tell the difference between Parliament and a Soap Opera.
In this week’s episode (perhaps):
“With grief-stricken Keir too emotional to speak publicly, Rachel steps in to share some heartfelt words of her own. Meanwhile more Ministers resign.”
Here we go…
“I have been clear throughout this process that my priority has, and always will be, protecting my children and the strain I am putting them under through staying in post has become unbearable.”
Textbook stuff
😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😃
pass the sick bag
The Beeb “World at One” took most of half an hour on this, then moved on to the Reform conference. Not much happening elsewhere, perhaps.
Anyway, it might make the Labour conference more interesting, as the members will have to select the next deputy leader.
In the meantime, it will be good business for the opinion poll organisations.
“The Beeb “World at One” took most of half an hour on this, then moved on to the Reform conference. Not much happening elsewhere, perhaps.”
It suits them to cover the pantomime and not what is important.
The problem for the Beeb covering the Reform conference is that they might have to broadcast speakers saying things to which the Beeb is ideologically opposed.
I am sure they were more than happy to reduce coverage of Reform so they could talk about the irrelevance that is Rayner’s resignation. The faces may change but the policies will stay the same.
“Nothing in her (political) life became her like the leaving it”
Resiging was the only worthwhile act of her entire worthless life. And she had to do it under compulsion.
She hasn’t quite descended as low as Johnson.
Breaking wind……ah, that’s better.
I’m calling this for Plank of the Week right now.
The money paid to Ranting on behalf of the disabled son was allegedly placed in a Disabled Person’s Trust fund and as a result all State Benefits could be paid to or on behalf of her son but with rules on how the Trust monies could be spent. The purchase of a second home by the mother would fall outside the rules. Furthermore, raising £160k by selling a 25% share of the property to the son, who had no need of the property share, effectively defrauded the son’s Trust Fund of £160k. And has anyone ever seen an Estate Agent offering to sell a quarter share in an occupied house?
If this was one of us we would be looking at criminal charges for what Rayner has done.
Also it would value the whole house at some £650,000 which is more than double the sale price of other houses nearby. Not sure it is criminal but looks a clear breach of trust by the trustees, especially if she is one, and taking advantage of her own son
Ranting will be a Trustee and you can trust me on that.
I am ex DWP.
It certainly seems like some ‘optimistic’ prices have been chosen to make it work…
“The Tears Of A Clown” or “How The Flighty Have Fallen”.
Lammy as “Deputy PM”. Dunnit make you proud. Always reminds me of Bsldrick and his turnip.
Out of Kier and Lammy, it’s difficult to say who is the turnip… neither are smart enough to be Baldrick
Lazy cow never worked in her life. Just a public sector parasite. Human lice.
Bit of a blanket statement!
From what I have seen and read, I do not like the woman but to be fair, she worked as a care assistant at some point.
Most care assistants work very hard. Although it was well after she left that role, care assistants were treated abominably during the scamdemic. They had to make terrible choices in order to pay their bills and put a crust of bread on the table – either submit to being jabbed, multiple times, with BigPharma slurry, or employment was terminated.
I have not read anything that would suggest she was a poor worker in that role. I am not defending her but perhaps the rot set in once she entered politics…
Can anyone read stoma’s handwriting?, she should have resigned immediately, knew exactly what she was doing , I feel for her son, she callously uses his disability at any given opportunity, which shows exactly who she is, good riddance.
Her signature was pasted into that letter. You can see the different coloured box around it. 🙂
But there it is again: the “Independent Adviser on Ministerial Interests” pronouncing on whether Ms Rayner broke the “Ministerial Code”. Part of the modern process where “independent” (= unaccountable) civil servants make judgements on elected politicians.
So was this decision made by Keir Starmer or their civil service masters? Was it reasonably open to Mr Starmer to reject the “advice” and keep her on? Who is actually making the decisions here?
But surely the point is: why should anyone have to pay the Government tens of thousands of pounds for the ‘crime’ of buying property? When is any government going to address this? (We already know the answer…).
…Or for inheriting property. Tax has already been duly – even / most probably- begrudgingly, so why the double whammy?
The government is a den of iniquity. It’ll be harder to find an honest person than a grain of sand on a beach.