UK News- Starmer Keen on Rayner Cabinet Return: “Absolutely” Wants Deputy Back After Tax Scandal Resignation
UK News, South Africa – November 23, 2025 (BNN Web UK)
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has issued a strong endorsement for his former deputy Angela Rayner, declaring he “absolutely” wants her back in Cabinet despite her September resignation over a stamp duty scandal. Speaking to broadcasters on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in South Africa, Starmer hailed Rayner as “the best example ever” of social mobility in the UK, underscoring their ongoing personal bond.
The comments come amid speculation about Rayner’s potential rehabilitation ahead of the next general election. When pressed on whether she could reclaim a senior role “this side of a general election,” Starmer was unequivocal:
“I’ve always said I want Angela back. Even back in September at the time I said she is going to be a big voice in the Labour movement. Do I want Angela back at some stage? Yes absolutely.”
He added: “I think she is the best example ever in the United Kingdom of social mobility – going from a pretty challenging childhood to being deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom. She is the story of social mobility above all other stories.”
Starmer also revealed he remains in regular contact with Rayner, whom he affectionately calls “Angie.” “I’m friends with Angie and I like Angie a lot and we talk a lot. We still do. It’s always good to have Angela,” he said, when asked if he missed her presence in government.
Rayner’s Dramatic Rise and Fall
Rayner’s journey from a 16-year-old school dropout – pregnant and unqualified – to Labour’s deputy leader in 2020 exemplifies the grit Starmer praised. Elected by party members, she became deputy prime minister and housing secretary under Starmer, championing workers’ rights and social justice.
Her downfall stemmed from revelations that she failed to pay the higher rate of stamp duty on a £590,000 second home in Hove, East Sussex, purchased in 2015 – potentially saving her around £40,000. The issue erupted after a protracted probe into her “complex living arrangements” with her ex-husband, aimed at securing stability for their teenage son, who has lifelong disabilities and is the sole beneficiary of a family trust.
A tearful interview with Sky News political editor Beth Rigby laid bare the personal toll, but it couldn’t quell the storm. Rayner resigned from all positions in September, following an investigation by the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus. The report cleared her of deliberate wrongdoing, finding she “acted with integrity” but breached the ministerial code by not seeking proper tax advice.
Path to Redemption? Party Allies Rally
Rayner, now a backbench MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, has kept the door ajar for a comeback. In a recent visit to a local care centre, she told the Daily Mirror: “I have not gone away,” refusing to rule out a frontbench return.
Support from Labour heavyweights bolsters her case. At the party’s conference weeks after her resignation, Health Secretary Wes Streeting lauded her contributions to the Employment Rights Bill, declaring: “Labour wants her back and needs her back.”
The timing of Starmer’s remarks – amid G20 talks on global inequality – reinforces Rayner’s narrative as a symbol of upward mobility, potentially smoothing her reintegration as Labour eyes consolidating its post-election mandate.
As one Downing Street source put it: “Angie’s fire is what Labour needs. Keir’s made it clear: she’s family.” Whether this signals an imminent return remains to be seen, but the prime minister’s words have reignited hopes of a Rayner revival in the heart of government.
