Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has declared that Angela Rayner should repay thousands in 'avoided' property taxes if the former deputy prime minister is to make a comeback to Sir Keir Starmer's top team.
A Clash at Prime Minister's Questions
The fiery exchange took place during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday 26 November 2025. Mrs Badenoch asserted that the Prime Minister is considering reinstating Ms Rayner because he is 'desperate to shore up his crumbling leadership'.
She directly challenged Sir Keir in the Commons, stating: 'We've read this weekend that he wants the former deputy prime minister back in his Cabinet. He must have forgotten that she had to resign only a few months ago for tax evasion.'
The Tax Demand and Leadership Defence
Mrs Badenoch specified that if Ms Rayner were to return, she should be required to pay back £40,000 of property taxes she allegedly avoided, plus return £17,000 of severance pay she received upon her departure.
In his defence, Sir Keir Starmer praised his former deputy, calling her 'the biggest social mobility story this country has ever told'. He emphasised his pride in 'everything she's done for this Labour Government' while dismissing the Conservative leader's questions as 'tittle-tattle'.
Budget Leaks and Internal Investigations
The session also saw Mrs Badenoch criticise the Prime Minister over Budget leaks, demanding an investigation into their source. She accused No 10 advisers of briefing against Health Secretary Wes Streeting and other senior Cabinet ministers.
She mocked the internal inquiry process, claiming: 'What he did was he asked Morgan McSweeney to investigate Morgan McSweeney and then Morgan McSweeney discovered that Morgan McSweeney was innocent.'
The Prime Minister firmly denied these allegations, stating that no one in No 10 had briefed against Cabinet ministers and praising the Health Secretary's performance.
