Sir Keir Starmer says former deputy Angela Rayner will return to Cabinet
Sir Keir Starmer says the “hugely talented” Angela Rayner will return to his Cabinet.
Ms Rayner resigned as deputy prime minister, housing secretary and deputy Labour leader in September after an independent ethics probe found she had breached the ministerial code over her underpayment of stamp duty on a seaside flat.
The Prime Minister said in an interview with The Observer that he missed Ms Rayner and said misogyny had played a part in the level of criticism she and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have received in recent months.
After describing Ms Rayner as “the best social mobility story this country has ever seen,” Sir Keir was asked if he missed his former deputy and said: “Yes, of course I do. I was really sad that we lost her.
“As I said to her at the time, she’s going to be a major voice in the Labour movement.”
Pressed as to whether she will be back in the Cabinet, he added: “Yes. She’s hugely talented.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch argued during Prime Minister’s Questions last month that any return for Ms Rayner should be on the condition that “she must pay back the £40,000 of property taxes she avoided”.
Earlier this week, a source close to the former deputy prime minister said she will “not be played like a pawn” after reports of a deal for her and Health Secretary Wes Streeting to run for the Labour leadership.
The source said “there is no vacancy and there is no pact”, after The Daily Telegraph reported that allies of Mr Streeting were pressing Ms Rayner to sign up to a “joint ticket” for the top job.
Sir Keir insisted that he had no intention of stepping aside before the next election.
He said: “When I took over the Labour party, everyone said to me, ‘you’re not going to be able to change the party’. We ignored that and carried on.
“Then they said to me, ‘you’re not going to be able to win an election’. We got a landslide Labour victory.
“Now, 17 months into a five-year Labour term, they say ‘you’re not able to change the country’.
“Every time we’ve been in this position, we’ve defied them. And that’s what I intend to do.”
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
I’m aware that early release is very common in current times lacking law and order, but has she even served half her sentence yet?
Conan the Librarian calls for Red Sonia to come and save his skin…
You defied the keep left sign and failed to read the country, silly me, you were just following orders…
Will she be giving back the £17,000?
£40k + interest for the time she got away with it.
Starmer using the word misogyny is itself sexist, insinuating that sexism only happens in one direction, vile hypocrisy but there’s a toxic epidemic of it these days.
I would suggest she’s more talented than Starmer, but even she won’t be able to save Labour now, Starmer, Blue Labour and McSweeney have completely f***ed Labour in England and after 26 years of failure here even the Welsh have started to see the light, unfortunately too many appear to be so politically illiterate they think another english nationalist party is the answer.
The tax office should put a repossetion order on ner new flat for the £ 40.000 she owes in avoided taxes, then sell it off recoup all the taxes and charges to clear her debt to the country as would happen to any normal person. We all know that not going to happen.
The process shouldn’t be any different to someone not in the public eye. That works both ways. It shouldn’t be unduly lenient, but nor should it be unduly punitive.
Looks like Keir Starmer and UK Labour are aping the English Tories and Reform UK not only with their extreme policies but standards too, or should I say, lack of. We in Wales know all too well the level control freak Labour will go to. Their agreeing with the Tory no HS2 consequential insult. The bypassing the Welsh Government with their Child Poverty Strategy funding. Their Welsh Not policy regarding power over Policing and Criminal & Youth Justice systems ect…. When the Tories were in power rewarded numerous corrupt ministers by bringing them back into cabinet such as the likes… Read more »