Housing secretary Angela Rayner was humiliated live on TalkTV as she faces calls to pay back £16,876. She received the money as an exit payoff when she quit as a cabinet minister last year, but has now been reappointed in the role by Andy Burnham after Sir Keir Starmer resigned as prime minister.
Presenter demands repayment
TalkTV presenter Kevin O’Sullivan was furious with the new frontbencher, arguing on his programme: “She’s now been given that job back by Burnham. She has to pay back this £17,000 and we want proof. Don’t just say it – we want to know that she has paid that money back, otherwise it’s quite clear Andy Burnham isn’t going to preside over a new kind of politics. He will preside over the same old, same old Westminster sleaze.”
Guest agrees with host
His guest Samara Gill agreed: “You’re totally right, this looks way less like accountability and more like political rehabilitation, with what he’s been doing with his cabinet. She should absolutely pay it back, but I don’t think she’s going to, Kev. I think she feels that she’s entitled to it. She feels, clearly, that she was wronged in the first place losing her job. The thing is, during her time on the backbenches, she was busy making £70,000 off 10 hours of work with all her private speaking commitments. Yes, I do agree with what we maybe said off camera which is that she’s entitled to do that, it’s perfectly legal, but it doesn’t make it right.”
Viewers point out hypocrisy
However, viewers were quick to point out the hosts’ “hypocrisy” after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accepted a £5million gift. One tweeted in response: “Fine for Farage to get £5mill though?” while another posted: “Whilst Farage takes millions, but you don’t talk about that.”
