Rayner’s exit follows Labour’s 2024 election triumph and comes as Reform UK gains traction in national polls. Downing Street announced a cabinet reshuffle, naming David Lammy as Rayner’s successor in both foreign affairs and justice, while Yvette Cooper becomes foreign secretary. Shabana Mahmood took over as home secretary.
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The controversy centers on Rayner underpaying property taxes on a second home bought earlier this year. She maintains the underpayment was unintentional and based on misleading legal advice. Critics, however, seized on the issue, given Labour’s past attacks on Conservative ministers over similar matters.
Starmer expressed sadness at Rayner’s departure, praising her as a trusted colleague, while acknowledging the pain of her decision for her family. Rayner’s departure removes one of Labour’s most recognizable voices and could complicate Starmer’s efforts to unify a governing party facing voter fatigue and an aggressive opposition bloc.
Rayner’s rise from a council estate to the upper echelons of government resonated with many voters, but the tax disclosure has complicated her legacy and added strain to Labour’s political trajectory as it faces a rocky path ahead.
