Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched a sweeping cabinet shake-up on Friday after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner resigned for breaching ministerial standards over a disputed property tax. The exit of one of Labour’s most visible figures has added fresh turmoil to a government already under pressure.
Rayner stepped down after Britain’s ethics adviser concluded she underpaid stamp duty on an £800,000 flat in Hove, near Brighton. The inquiry found she had failed to seek specialist tax guidance and thereby breached the ministerial code. While the report noted she had acted on partial legal advice, it concluded her oversight fell short of the standards required for senior office.
In her resignation letter, Rayner, 45, expressed regret. “I did not meet the highest standards,” she wrote, adding she would also leave her posts as housing minister and deputy leader of the Labour Party. Starmer said he was “very sad” to lose her but insisted she would remain “a major figure” within Labour.
Read Also: Belgium Urges US To Spare Contraceptives Meant For Africa
Her departure prompted the most significant reshuffle of Starmer’s 14-month premiership. Foreign Secretary David Lammy was appointed deputy prime minister, with Interior Minister Yvette Cooper moving to replace him at the Foreign Office. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood will take over the Home Office, while Lammy will also assume responsibility for justice. Additional changes were made to the environment, business, and science portfolios, and two ministers were dismissed outright.
The shake-up comes at a perilous moment for Labour. Since ousting the Conservatives last year, the government has struggled to steady its agenda, retreating on welfare reform and energy subsidies while preparing for a difficult budget. Rising migration across the English Channel has fueled public anger and boosted the far-right Reform UK party, which has overtaken Labour in some polls.
Rayner’s resignation may further unsettle Labour’s base. A working-class northerner who left school at 16, she has long been admired for her blunt style and connection with voters who feel alienated from Westminster politics. Her background, including raising three sons as a single mother, made her one of the party’s most relatable figures and a frequent subject of speculation as a future leader.
Analysts say the reshuffle signals Starmer’s recognition that his government has lost momentum. Patrick Diamond, a former Downing Street adviser, called the changes “a clear sign that ministers urgently need to get a grip on the machinery of government.” But he cautioned that electing a new deputy Labour leader could produce further turbulence in the year ahead.