British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday shook up his Cabinet after his top deputy stepped down over a tax error on a home purchase, leaving a big hole in the center-left Labour government.
Starmer carried out a major reshuffle, a forced government reboot after a rocky 14 months in office that have seen his popularity plunge. British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy replaced Angela Rayner as deputy prime minister and also took the justice portfolio. Yvette Cooper moved from the British Home Office to become foreign secretary, while British Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood became home secretary.
British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves was kept in post, meaning that the three major offices of state below the British prime minister would be occupied by women for the first time in history.
Photo: AFP
The changes came after Rayner handed in her resignation to Starmer, because an independent inquiry concluded that she had not met the ethical standards required of government ministers over her purchase of an apartment in Hove. The report concluded that she should have sought more specific advice, even though she acted in good faith.
“I take full responsibility for this error,” Rayner said in her resignation letter to Starmer. “I would like to take this opportunity to repeat that it was never my intention to do anything other than pay the right amount.”
Starmer in a handwritten letter expressed regret, but said Rayner had made the right decision.
“I have nothing but admiration for you and huge respect for your achievements in politics,” Starmer wrote.
The letter signed off “with very best wishes and with real sadness.”
Rayner is a hugely popular member of the Labour Party and was widely tipped to be a potential successor to Starmer. In addition to resigning as deputy prime minister and housing secretary, Rayner quit as deputy leader of the party, meaning that members have to select someone new.
Steve Reed was moved from rural affairs to the housing role.
The changes also saw an enhanced role for Darren Jones, the recently appointed chief secretary to the prime minister — charged with getting a grip on government communications — and a return to the British government as the secretary for Scotland for Douglas Alexander, a veteran of the government of former British prime minister Tony Blair two decades ago.
Starmer would be hoping that the bold changes allow him to seize back the political agenda following days of speculation surrounding Rayner’s future and months of turmoil for his administration.
His government has seen its support fall sharply since its landslide victory in last year’s election, following a string of missteps over welfare reform and mounting public concern about immigration.
In the UK, levies are charged on property purchases, with higher charges due on more expensive homes and secondary residences. Reports have suggested that Rayner saved ￡40,000 (US$53,974) by not paying the appropriate levy, known as a stamp duty, on her ￡800,000 purchase.
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
HOTEL HIRING: An official said that hoteliers could begin hiring migrant workers next year, but must adhere to a rule requiring a NT$2,000 salary hike for Taiwanese The government is to allow the hospitality industry to recruit mid-level migrant workers for housekeeping and three other lines of work after the Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal by the Ministry of Labor. A shortage of workers at hotels and accommodation facilities was discussed at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee. A 2023 survey conducted by the Tourism Administration found that Taiwan’s lodging industry was short of about 6,600 housekeeping and cleaning workers, the agency said in a report to the committee. The shortage of workers in the industry is being studied, the report said. Hotel and Lodging Division Deputy Director Cheng
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
RSS