Angela Rayner resignation letter and Sir Keir Starmer reply in full

Angela Rayner has resigned as deputy prime minister, housing secretary and the deputy chief of the Labour Party, after admitting she underpaid tax after buying a flat in Hove.

Below is her resignation letter in full, together with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s response and a letter from Sir Laurie Magnus, the unbiased adviser on ministerial ethics, wherein he units out that Rayner breached the ministerial code.

Dear Keir,

Thank you for the non-public and public help you’ve gotten proven me in latest days. As , on Wednesday I referred myself to your Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, Sir Laurie Magnus, to conduct a radical investigation into my private monetary circumstances after I turned conscious that it’s possible I inadvertently paid the inaccurate charge for Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).

I’ve all the time taken my duties as Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in addition to a Member of Parliament with the utmost seriousness. I’ve lengthy believed that individuals who serve the British public in authorities should all the time observe the very best requirements, and whereas the Independent Adviser has concluded that I acted in good religion and with honesty and integrity all through, I settle for that I didn’t meet the very best requirements in relation to my latest property buy.

I deeply remorse my choice to not search extra specialist tax recommendation given each my place as Housing Secretary and my complicated household preparations. I take full accountability for this error. I wish to take this chance to repeat that it was by no means my intention to do something aside from pay the correct quantity.

I need to additionally take into account the numerous toll that the continued stress of the media is taking up my household. While I rightly anticipate correct scrutiny on me and my life, my household didn’t select to have their non-public lives interrogated and uncovered so publicly. I’ve been clear all through this course of that my precedence has, and all the time can be, defending my kids and the pressure I’m placing them underneath by means of staying in publish has develop into insufferable.

Given the findings, and the influence on my household, I’ve subsequently determined to resign as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in addition to Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.

For a teenage mum from a council property in Stockport to function the very best degree of presidency has been the honour of my life. The challenges of presidency are nothing in comparison with the problem of placing meals on the desk and getting a roof over our head once I introduced up children working as a house assist. Too many individuals face the identical throughout our nation.

I’ve all the time recognized that politics modifications lives as a result of it modified mine. The final Labour authorities gave me the instruments I wanted to construct a greater life for me and my younger son, and that is why I’ve been working relentlessly from day one in authorities to do the identical for the subsequent technology. Every day I had in workplace, I labored to serve working class communities just like the one which I grew up in, that are too typically missed by these in energy. I’m proud that in each choice I made, I did it for them. I’d by no means have develop into Deputy Prime Minister if not for the choices taken by the final Labour Government, giving me a council home to help me, Sure Start to assist elevate my children, and the safety of a minimal wage – and I can solely hope that the modifications I made in authorities can have the identical influence for younger ladies rising up on council estates like I did.

Through my Employment Rights Bill folks throughout the nation will obtain the most important uplift in employees’ rights in a technology. This landmark laws can be recreation altering for thousands and thousands of individuals caught in insecure and low-paid work, giving them the dignity and safety they do not simply want but additionally deserve. I’m and can stay deeply pleased with that legacy. I’m so proud to have labored alongside the commerce union motion, who’ve given me every part, to ship that.

Our Renters’ Rights Bill will lastly ban the oppressive rule of no-fault evictions and can reset the steadiness between renters and landlords by means of floor breaking safety for renters. Everyone deserves to dwell in a protected and first rate residence, and I do know this laws will ship that for thousands and thousands of individuals throughout the nation.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill may even be instrumental in getting the properties so many individuals throughout this nation want constructed, and I’m so proud that on the Spending Review we introduced the most important funding in social and inexpensive housing in a technology with the overwhelming quantity of this going to genuinely social hire properties.

And final week, I launched the English Devolution Bill to Parliament. The largest single bundle of devolution from any Westminster authorities to native folks throughout England. This landmark laws will completely change the steadiness of energy, giving true management to these with pores and skin in recreation. We delivered an Elections Strategy which can imply 16 and 17 yr olds getting the vote for the primary time, in addition to bold plans to make sure probably the most marginalised communities are registered to vote. We took steps to stabilise the damaged foundations of native authorities and ship the primary genuinely honest funding assessment and the primary multi-year settlement for a decade.

My division, by means of my glorious crew of Ministers, has additionally offered the biggest ever funding in homelessness prevention companies to native authorities, to get Britain again on observe to ending homelessness for good. We’ve labored relentlessly to deliver an finish to the constructing security disaster and developed new measures to get peoples’ properties fastened faster and maintain rogue freeholders to account. We’ve additionally labored to spice up neighborhood cohesion, sort out hate crime and reset the connection with religion communities.

I’ve been fortunate to work alongside probably the most proficient group of Ministers who labored with dedication to ship for working folks. I thank Matthew Pennycook, Jim McMahon, Alex Norris, Wajid Khan and Sharon Taylor. I too am grateful to my good parliamentary crew, Harpreet Uppal, Mark Ferguson, and Gen Kitchen.

For me, being in workplace is the prospect to vary the lives of the folks I grew up alongside. I’ll do no matter I can to proceed doing so.

Thank you in your management and in your friendship. I’ll proceed to serve you, our nation and the social gathering and motion I like within the weeks, months and years forward.

Yours sincerely,

The Rt. Hon. Angela Rayner MP Representing Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Droylsden and Dukinfield Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government

Dear Angela,

Thank you for informing me of your choice to resign from the Government. I’m very unhappy that your time as Deputy prime Minister, Secretary of State and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party has ended on this manner.

As we acted in accordance with the strengthened system regarding ministerial conduct that we put in place on coming into Government. You have been proper to refer your self to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards and proper to behave on his conclusions.

Although I consider you’ve gotten reached the correct choice, it’s a choice which I do know could be very painful for you. You have given your all to creating the Labour Government successful and you’ve got been a central a part of our plan to make Britain fairer for working households. Your work at MHCLG to assist construct the properties that Britain wants has been massively necessary and your work to create extra equity within the office by means of the Employment Rights Bill represents a really vital achievement that can change the lives of thousands and thousands of individuals.

On a private word, I’m very unhappy to be dropping you from the Government. You have been a trusted colleague and a real buddy for a few years. I’ve nothing however admiration for you and big respect in your achievement in politics. I do know that many individuals of all political persuasions admire that somebody as proficient as you is the dwelling embodiment of social mobility.

Even although you will not be a part of the Government, you’ll stay a significant determine in our social gathering. I do know that you’ll proceed to battle for the causes you care so passionately about.

My perfect needs, and with actual disappointment,

Keir

Dear Prime Minister,

Following a self-referral by The Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 3 September 2025, I’ve undertaken an examination of the circumstances and info related to latest allegations about Ms Rayner’s property possession and tax affairs.

I ought to acknowledge that Ms Rayner has offered her full and open cooperation in helping me with my inquiries. Her choice to supply better public transparency by making use of to take away the confidentiality enterprise in a courtroom order defending her household’s home monetary circumstances was, specifically, clearly very troublesome to reconcile together with her comprehensible want to defend members of her household from the glare of media consideration.

It is a tragic reflection of the just about insupportable pressures that may face outstanding politicians in defending the privateness of their households, not least, as Ms Rayner highlighted in her assertion on 3 September, “the reality that family life is rarely straightforward, particularly when dealing with disability, divorce and the complexities of ensuring your children’s long term security”.

Ms Rayner has defined publicly that, following latest allegations and hypothesis, and as a way to guarantee herself of compliance together with her obligations, she sought authorized recommendation from main tax Counsel. This coated her private place in relation to council tax, stamp responsibility land tax, capital beneficial properties tax and inheritance tax. I’ve had entry to this written opinion and, because of its conclusions, have targeted my inquiries – and this recommendation – on the problems regarding Ms Rayner’s acknowledged failure to pay the right amount of stamp responsibility land tax (SDLT) on the acquisition of a property in Hove, Sussex, in May 2025.

It is the realisation of this error that prompted Ms Rayner, shortly after having obtained the ultimate tax legislation recommendation, to refer the matter to me on Wednesday 3 September. Ms Rayner has set out intimately, publicly, the main points of her household’s home preparations and her choice to promote her 25% curiosity within the freehold of the household residence in Ashton-under-Lyne and to buy a property in Hove. I don’t have to repeat these particulars right here, aside from to notice that they inevitably entailed a substantial diploma of complexity.

Having bought her 25% share within the household residence in Ashton-under-Lyne, Ms Rayner ceased to personal any a part of that property. However, underneath the related laws, an individual who doesn’t personal a property can nonetheless be deemed to carry an curiosity in it if sure circumstances apply; these embrace the place that property is held by a belief, and the beneficiary of the belief is a baby of that particular person underneath the age of 18. I perceive there are extra complexities, for instance regarding the explicit sort of belief in query and the explanation for which the belief was established.

Taken collectively, it seems that – significantly within the context of the specialist sort of belief in query – the interpretation of those guidelines is complicated. With Ms Rayner’s full cooperation and help, I’ve reviewed related documentation from the property transaction. This has included the recommendation she obtained on the time from the authorized companies concerned and the related documentation that was ready for her to impact the acquisition. This recommendation gave rise to Ms Rayner’s understanding – which I take into account to have been held in good religion – that the decrease charge of SDLT was relevant when buying the property in Hove.

It is just not essential for me to element the particular contents of this recommendation or the related documentation however, having reviewed it, I’d draw 4 conclusions:

a) Ms Rayner was open concerning the existence of the Trust and regarded that, between them, the companies advising her had acceptable data and consciousness of the main points and circumstances of the Trust;

b) on the premise of the recommendation she obtained, Ms Rayner believed that the decrease charge of SDLT could be relevant; certainly she was twice knowledgeable in writing that this was the case; however

c) in these two situations, that recommendation was certified by the acknowledgement that it didn’t represent knowledgeable tax recommendation and was accompanied by a suggestion, or in a single case a advice, that particular tax recommendation be obtained; and

d) if such knowledgeable tax recommendation had been obtained, because it later was, it will possible have suggested her {that a} larger charge of SDLT was payable.

The Ministerial Code units out the excessive requirements that, as Prime Minister, you anticipate all ministers to observe. It enshrines the dedication to uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life, and particulars “the overarching duty on Ministers to comply with the law and to protect the integrity of public life”. The Code begins at 1.2 by stating that “Ministers are expected to embody the principles of public service and to set a positive example as they govern in the national interest. Ministers should recognise that, as office-holders, they are held to the highest possible standards of proper conduct, and ensure that they are living up to those standards in their words and actions”.

Ms Rayner deeply regrets the error she has made in relation to the underpayment of SDLT for the acquisition of her property in Hove. On realisation of this error, she has sought rapidly to appropriate the error and to refer herself to HMRC as a way to make sure that she pays the right amount. I’ve little doubt that she has been motivated within the administration of her property and monetary preparations by a need to behave in one of the best pursuits of her kids, and with the intention to pay all acceptable taxes and fulfil all her authorized obligations.

It is extremely unlucky, nevertheless, that Ms Rayner didn’t pay the right charge of SDLT on this buy, significantly given her standing and duties because the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and as Deputy Prime Minister. She believed that she relied on the authorized recommendation she had obtained, however sadly didn’t heed the warning contained inside it, which acknowledged that it didn’t represent knowledgeable tax recommendation and which advised that knowledgeable recommendation be sought. I’m acutely aware of the acute challenges Ministers face – maybe uniquely – in managing the calls for of their private lives and their public duties.

However, the accountability of any taxpayer for reporting their tax returns and settling their liabilities rests finally on themselves alone. Given the conjunction of the acknowledged complexity of her household circumstances, her place in Government (most significantly as Deputy Prime Minister) and the results of getting such a calculation mistaken, it’s deeply regrettable that the particular tax recommendation was not sought.

I consider Ms Rayner has acted with integrity and with a devoted and exemplary dedication to public service. I take into account, nevertheless, that her unlucky failure to settle her SDLT legal responsibility on the appropriate degree, coupled with the truth that this was established solely following intensive public scrutiny, leads me to advise you that, in relation to this matter, she can’t be thought-about to have met the “highest possible standards of proper conduct” as envisaged by the Code. Accordingly, it’s with deep remorse that I need to advise you that in these circumstances, I take into account the Code to have been breached.

Yours sincerely,

Sir Laurie Magnus CBE, Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards