UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reshuffled his government on Friday after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner resigned over a tax error related to the purchase of a home.
Starmer carried out this major and forced reshuffle after 14 difficult months in office, during which his popularity has significantly declined.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in place of Rayner, while also taking on the role of Justice Secretary. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper became the new Foreign Secretary, and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood was named Home Secretary.
Rayner Breached Ministerial Ethics Standards
The changes followed Rayner’s resignation letter to Starmer, after an independent investigation found that she had failed to meet the ethical standards required of government ministers in relation to her recent property purchase in Hove, southern England.
The probe concluded that although she acted in good faith, she should have sought more detailed advice.
“I take full responsibility for this mistake,” Rayner wrote in her resignation letter to Starmer. “I want to reiterate that it was never my intention to do anything other than pay the correct amount.”
Starmer, in response, expressed regret but said Rayner had made the right decision. “I have nothing but admiration for you and immense respect for your achievements in politics,” he said.
Rayner, a highly popular Labour Party figure often seen as a potential successor to Starmer, also resigned as the party’s deputy leader, meaning members will now have to elect a replacement.
Political Pressure on Starmer
Starmer hopes these bold changes will allow him to regain control of the political agenda after days of speculation about Rayner’s future and months of turbulence for his administration.
His government has suffered a sharp drop in support since last year’s election victory, following a series of missteps on welfare reform and growing public concerns over immigration.
Rayner will remain a Member of Parliament but will now sit on the backbenches.
Reports suggest that Rayner saved nearly $54,000 by not paying the required tax on her approximately $1 million home purchase. She explained that her “complex living arrangements,” linked to her 2023 divorce and her son’s lifelong disability, were the reasons behind the tax error.
In her letter, she also cited the “immense pressure of constant media scrutiny” on her family as a factor in her decision to step down.
