Prime Minister Keir Starmer has given his clearest indication yet that Angela Rayner will return to the cabinet, describing his former deputy as “hugely talented” in an interview with the Observer. Rayner resigned in September after underpaying stamp duty on a property purchase, with Sir Laurie Magnus, Starmer’s ethics adviser, finding she had breached the ministerial code.
Starmer said he missed Rayner and was “really sad that we lost her”, adding that she would be “a major voice in the Labour movement”. When asked directly if she would return to cabinet, he replied: “Yes. She’s hugely talented.” This marks a more definitive statement than any previous comment, though an imminent return could be complicated by the breach finding.
Rayner, who left school aged 16 without qualifications, was described by Starmer as “the best social mobility story this country has ever seen”. Since her resignation, she has kept a low profile, though she recently dropped a planned amendment to the workers’ rights bill after securing concessions from Business Secretary Peter Kyle.
The prime minister also suggested both Rayner and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have faced misogyny, stating: “All politicians get quite a lot of abuse these days but for women it’s always worse.” Meanwhile, the thinktank Labour Together has been canvassing party members on potential replacements for Starmer, listing eight senior Labour figures including Rayner, Wes Streeting, and Andy Burnham.
