'We're all very sad': Labour frontbencher reacts to Rayner's resignation - but admits 'she did the right thing'
One of the government's most senior figures has described the resignation of Angela Rayner to LBC as "sad" but has acknowledged she "did the right thing".
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Ms Rayner quit as Deputy Prime Minister, Housing Secretary and deputy leader of the Labour party on Friday following a sleaze probe sparked by allegations of tax evasion.
Speaking the day after she stepped down, Darren Jones - Sir Keir Starmer's chief secretary - told LBC's Matthew Wright that Ms Rayner is the "embodiment of social mobility".
"We're all sad about the way Angela's time as Deputy Prime Minister came to an end. We're all very fond of Angela and the Labour party.
"She's the embodiment of social mobility.
"She proves the case that in this country you can come from working class, poor, difficult backgrounds and make your way all the way to the top.
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"She implemented those priorities in her year in government with better rights for workers, better pay for low paid workers, and a kind of revolution in terms of the investment and priorities for building council housing, to give people secure housing. And we're all really proud of that."
However, Mr Jones admitted she did the right thing by resigning.
"But the fact of the matter is that she breached the ministerial code and when that was made clear, she did the right thing and resigned. So we're sad about that.
He said Starmer was already considering a reshuffle as part of this "second chapter of the Labour government."
"The first chapter being where we had to deal with the crises and the fires that we inherited from the last government.
"The second chapter now as we get on and deliver on the promises we made to the public at the election, and all of us in government and in Parliament are excited to be getting on with that work because that's what we fought hard to win an election to do".
Ms Rayner resigned as deputy PM, housing secretary and deputy Labour leader after Sir Keir’s ethics adviser said she failed to “heed the caution” contained within legal advice she received when buying an £800,000 property in Hove.
The outgoing deputy prime minister admitted she had underpaid stamp duty on the flat, and referred herself to Sir Laurie Magnus, the independent ethics adviser.
In a letter published on Friday, Sir Laurie said he believed Ms Rayner had acted in “good faith”, but that “the responsibility of any taxpayer for reporting their tax returns and settling their liabilities rests ultimately with themselves”.
Ms Rayner told the Prime Minister in a letter on Friday that “I deeply regret my decision to not seek additional specialist tax advice” and said she took “full responsibility for this error”.
In his response, Sir Keir said Ms Rayner would “remain a major figure in our party” and “continue to fight for the causes you care so passionately about”.
The major upset to the Government comes just days after Sir Keir instigated a smaller reshuffle, and made new back office appointments with a view to begin what he billed as “phase two” of his administration, focused on delivery.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Phase Two of Starmer’s Government didn’t even last three days. He was too weak to fire the deputy prime minister, even after he was told she broke the ministerial code, and now he’s shuffling deckchairs around on his sinking Government.
“The Labour Party is now engaged in a civil war for its deputy leadership. All of which will be an enormous distraction from the problems facing Britain, with the cost of borrowing reaching its highest point in decades, and inflation and unemployment rising.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey meanwhile cautioned Labour, warning that the reshuffle showed it was “learning the wrong lessons from the calamity Conservatives before them”.
“Until Keir Starmer is ready to grab the bull by the horns and confront the problems our country really faces, it makes little difference who sits where around the Cabinet table,” he added.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage brought forward a keynote speech at his party’s conference in Birmingham, and claimed the Government is “deep in crisis” and “not fit to govern”.