Calls for Angela Rayner to repay exit payout after cabinet reinstatement
Angela Rayner is under pressure to return the substantial exit payment she received as she reenters the Cabinet just nine months following her dismissal, reports BritPanorama.
The Ashton-under-Lyne MP received a £16,876 payment upon resigning from her position in September, after it was discovered that she had underpaid Stamp Duty. The former Deputy Prime Minister collected this payout before new regulations took effect, which would prohibit former ministers found guilty of “serious breaches” of the ministerial code from receiving such payments.
Following her appointment back to her previous role by new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, there are mounting demands for Rayner to return the taxpayer-funded package. She lost her position just ten months prior, embroiled in controversy over her tax affairs.
Shadow housing secretary James Cleverly criticized Rayner, stating: “She pocketed a £17,000 reward courtesy of the taxpayer, and now she’s got her old job back courtesy of her mate Andy Burnham, who wants to hike taxes on the family home for everyone else. Rayner should hand back the cash. Her reappointment just confirms that there is one rule for Labour, and another for everyone else.”
The Conservative Party echoed this sentiment on Twitter, condemning Rayner’s actions by stating, “Angela Rayner crusaded against tax avoidance. Then she avoided tax, got found out, quit in disgrace and took a £17k payout. Now she’s got her old job back, will she return the cash?”
Rayner had previously championed a crackdown on government payouts to ministers while in opposition, which adds to the scrutiny surrounding her situation. Despite being found by Sir Keir Starmer’s ethics chief to have breached the ministerial code, she accepted the payment. She stepped down from her position after it emerged that she had failed to pay sufficient Stamp Duty on her £800,000 residence in East Sussex, resolving her tax affairs only in May this year.
Ministerial severance can amount to 25% of a departing minister’s salary, and Rayner’s payment was a quarter of her £67,505 salary, in addition to her annual salary of £98,599 as an MP. A source close to Rayner noted that Tory leader Kemi Badenoch also received a severance payment following her exit from Boris Johnson’s government in July 2022.
In response to criticism about her payout, a spokesperson for Rayner stated, “There is a world of difference between making an honest mistake and a severe breach of the ministerial code… as the independent ethics adviser’s investigation concluded, Angela acted with integrity and an exemplary commitment to public service.”
In her new capacity, Rayner is reportedly advocating for the implementation of a tourist tax in Britain, including plans for an “overnight levy” to increase local fiscal powers. New Prime Minister Burnham has expressed support for this initiative, which aims to grant local mayors greater authority to levy such charges. Reports suggest that this could add around £300 to the cost of a UK staycation, with ten of England’s regional mayors considering or planning to impose similar levies.
The evolving narrative surrounding Rayner reflects ongoing tensions within the UK’s political landscape about accountability and governance, especially in light of emerging tax strategies under new leadership.
UK politics continues to navigate the complexities of public accountability while considering the implications of recent policy proposals that may significantly impact citizens’ finances.
