Angela Rayner breaks resignation silence as she vows to keep fighting | Politics | News
Angela Rayner refrained from criticizing Keir Starmer as she broke her silence in the House of Commons today, following his bombshell resignation in September. Ms Rayner was forced to leave the government last month after the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser found she had underpaid tax on a second home in Brighton.
The former Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Minister vowed to continue fighting for the causes he believes in, adding: “My title may have changed, but the strength and character of the people in my constituency have not.” The Manchester MP lamented: “The last few weeks have been incredibly difficult for my family as my personal life has been in the public eye. All of us in public life know all too well the toll the intensity of scrutiny we face takes on our loved ones.”
The woman, who confirmed she would pay all the tax owed on the luxury seaside flat in Brighton, blamed the “complex tax situation” faced by parents of disabled children who are divorced and looking for a new property.
She added: “If anything good comes of this, I hope other families in the same situation will realize this and avoid putting themselves in the same situation I am in now.”
Ms Rayner said serving at the highest level of British politics was a “privilege” not because of the titles and privileges but because of the ability to help those in need.
He cited a number of achievements during his short time in government, including the Employment Rights Act, the Hillsborough Act and the “largest investment in social housing in a generation”.
Ms Rayner, who has been lobbying for a return to government in the coming years, said Sir Keir Starmer “has the opportunity to write a new chapter on fairness and justice for working people”.
“In every generation, it has fallen on Labor governments to strengthen the hands of working people. In 1945 it was maternity pay, the NHS and homes for heroes emerging from the ruins of war. In the 1970s it was Castle Barbara and the fight for equal pay. And in the 90s it was the national minimum wage.”
“No matter how difficult politics is, it is nothing compared to the problems that thousands of my constituents and this country face every day.
“Elected office is not about the chance to change the lives of others with us. No matter where I sit on these elected benches, I will fight with everything I can to do exactly that.”
Some Cabinet ministers used speeches at the Liverpool conference to urge Ms Rayner to return to frontline politics despite the terms of her resignation.
