LONDON: British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner resigned on Friday after admitting she had underpaid property tax on her new home, a misstep she said she deeply regretted. The departure delivers a major setback for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described Rayner as a trusted colleague and close friend.
Britain’s independent adviser ruled that Rayner had breached the ministerial code by failing to pay the correct tax, leaving Starmer with little room to shield her. In her resignation letter, the 45-year-old Labour politician wrote, “I deeply regret my decision to not seek additional specialist tax advice… I take full responsibility for this error.” She added that the impact on her family also weighed heavily on her decision.
Rayner’s exit marks the eighth resignation from Starmer’s cabinet since he took office, and the most damaging so far. She was previously accused of avoiding £40,000 in tax on the transaction, but Starmer had initially defended her.
Her departure makes Starmer’s government the most affected by ministerial resignations at the start of a premiership in nearly five decades, surpassing even the turbulent tenure of Boris Johnson.
Alongside stepping down from government, Rayner has also resigned as deputy leader of the Labour Party, underscoring the scale of the blow to Starmer’s leadership.
