Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced that his former deputy, Angela Rayner, will be making a return to his top ministerial team. Starmer pointed to misogyny as a key driver behind the intense criticism she faced, which led to her resignation earlier this year.
The Path to Resignation and the PM's Defence
In September 2025, Rayner stepped down from her triple roles as Deputy Prime Minister, Housing Secretary, and deputy leader of the Labour Party. This decision followed the conclusion of an independent ethics investigation. The probe found that Rayner had failed to pay the correct amount of stamp duty on a seaside flat she owned.
In an interview with The Observer, Starmer expressed that he 'missed' Rayner and drew a direct parallel between the treatment she received and that of Chancellor Rachel Reeves. He stated that both women had been subjected to a barrage of criticism fuelled by underlying misogyny.
The Prime Minister lavished praise on his colleague, calling her 'the best social mobility story this country has ever seen'. He highlighted her journey from leaving school at 16 to rising to the highest levels of government, underscoring her working-class roots. Starmer added, 'As I said to her at the time, she’s going to be a major voice in the Labour movement.'
Political Reactions and Leadership Speculation
The prospect of Rayner's return has not been met with universal approval. Last month, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch used Prime Minister’s Questions to argue that any comeback should be conditional. Badenoch insisted that Rayner must first pay back an estimated £40,000 in property taxes she was deemed to have avoided.
Meanwhile, reports have swirled about a potential future leadership deal between Rayner and Health Secretary Wes Streeting. According to these rumours, allies of Streeting were pressing for a 'joint ticket' to eventually run for the Labour leadership. However, a source close to Rayner pushed back strongly against this narrative, stating she 'will not be played like a pawn'. The source clarified, 'there is no vacancy, and there is no pact.'
Starmer's Defiance and Future Plans
Amid the speculation, Sir Keir Starmer himself moved to quash any talk of his own departure. He insisted he has no intention of stepping down before the next general election.
Reflecting on his tenure so far, Starmer outlined a pattern of defying expectations. 'When I took over the Labour party, everyone said to me, ‘you’re not going to be able to change the party’. We ignored that and carried on,' he said. 'Then they said to me, ‘you’re not going to be able to win an election’. We got a landslide Labour victory. Now, 17 months into a five-year Labour term, they say ‘you’re not able to change the country’.'
He concluded with a characteristically resolute statement: 'Every time we’ve been in this position, we’ve defied them. And that’s what I intend to do.' This sets the stage for Rayner's reinstatement as a significant moment in the current parliament, signalling Starmer's commitment to his team and his dismissal of what he perceives as prejudiced attacks.
