Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner resigns

Angela Rayner has resigned as deputy leader of the Labour Party, housing secretary and deputy prime minister.

It comes two days after she admitted that she should have paid more tax when she bought a flat in Hove, a seaside resort in East Sussex, earlier this year.

An ethics report released on Friday said Ms Rayner's actions were in breach the ministerial code - a set of rules which tells people with positions in the government the behaviour expected of them.

In a letter Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that he's "very sad" that her time in government has ended but she will remain "a major figure" in the Labour Party.

Opposition parties have criticised Ms Rayner and the prime minister's handling of the situation.

Who is Angela Rayner?

Ms Rayner was born in 1980 in Stockport.

After leaving school she didn't go to university but got a job in her local council in social work.

She later became a representative for the trade union, Unison, which works to support workers in public services, like local government, education and health.

In 2014 she was selected as the Labour Party's candidate for Ashton-under-Lyne, and despite her party losing the 2015 general election, she won her seat and became an MP.

She briefly became a member of the housing, communities and local government select committee, before going on to more senior roles.

What is the background to the story?

Angela Rayner bought a flat in Hove in May 2025.

When someone buys a property they often have to pay a type of tax called stamp duty.

Ms Rayner admitted that she made an "error" and didn't pay the right amount of tax when she bought the flat.

Government ministers are expected to follow all the rules on paying tax, and there are supposed to be serious consequences if they don't.

A report looking into what had happened found that she did not "did not heed the caution" in legal advice she received and had breached the ministerial code.

She says she is sorry for not getting the right advice on how much to pay.

Ms Rayner will now need to pay money to the tax authorities, which she says she will do.

What have the PM and Deputy said?

Ms Rayner has said that she "deeply regret[s]" her decision not to seek additional specialist tax advice given her position in the government and her "complex" personal situation.

"I take full responsibility for this error," she added, saying: "I would like to take this opportunity to repeat that it was never my intention to do anything other than pay the right amount."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party

In a handwritten letter from Prime Minister Keir Starmer to his former deputy, Angela Rayner, he wrote about feeling "very sad that your time as deputy prime minister, secretary of state and deputy leader of the Labour Party has ended in this way".

The PM added that Ms Rayner was "right" to refer herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards and "right to act on his conclusion".

What have the other parties said?

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party

In a video posted to X, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said: "It's only because of Keir Starmer's weakness that she wasn't sacked three days ago", adding: "Britain deserves better."

She says Starmer showed "no principle, no backbone" and claims "questions remain" about what the PM knew, and when.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said it had become "clear" that her position became "untenable", and said he hopes the government can "move on and deal with the huge problems millions of people in our country face".

Nigel Farage decided to move his speech at the Reform UK Party Conference forward by three hours after the news about Angela Rayner standing down broke

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said in a speech, "you can't be housing secretary and avoid £40,000 of stamp duty".

He went on to accuse Labour's cabinet ministers of being "wholly unqualified people to run our country".