Angela Rayner's resignation has dealt a significant blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had publicly defended his deputy. Her exit, triggered by a breach of the ministerial code over stamp duty underpayment on her £800,000 flat, leaves Labour without one of its most authentic working-class voices. This comes at a time when the party is struggling to reconnect with its traditional voter base and faces mounting challenges from the far right, stoked by Nigel Farage.
Rayner's departure has sparked a major cabinet reshuffle, with David Lammy appointed deputy prime minister and Yvette Cooper named foreign secretary. Only a handful of ministers, including Wes Streeting and Rachel Reeves, retained their posts. The scale of the reshuffle reflects deep unease within the party, as Labour's first year in power has been marred by missteps and a failure to gain traction in the polls.
Senior Labour figures have urged Starmer to stop making mistakes, with the mood described as "pretty ferocious" by Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee. The party's economic plan remains under scrutiny, and the threat from Reform UK continues to grow. Rayner's workers' rights bill, due to pass its final stage soon, may prove a bittersweet legacy for a politician who embodied social mobility and indignation against injustice.
