Angela Rayner has said that she has been cleared of any tax misconduct by HMRC, paving the way for a potential leadership bid. The former Deputy Prime Minister stood down from the role last year amid an investigation into her tax affairs after she accrued £40,000 in unpaid stamp duty.
Ms Rayner confirmed on Thursday morning that she had paid the funds and been cleared of deliberate wrongdoing or carelessness, with HMRC satisfied there was no tax avoidance. It comes as Sir Keir Starmer continues to face questions over his future, with Ms Rayner and Health Secretary Wes Streeting among the Labour figures reportedly considering challenging his premiership.
Ms Rayner did not rule out running in any leadership race but said she would not “trigger” a contest. She told The Guardian: “I’ll play my part in doing everything we possibly can to deliver the change, because it’s not a personal ambition, I know the difference it makes.”
“Whatever role I can play, I will keep pushing and pushing hard because I want the people out there at the moment who are really struggling … to know that I’m putting all my energy into fighting for them,” she added.
Mr Streeting is thought to have told allies he is preparing to resign on Thursday and announce a bid for the top job after Labour descended into open infighting at the start of the week.
If he mounts a challenge, the cabinet member will need the support of 81 Labour MPs to begin a formal contest. While some 87 MPs have called for Sir Keir’s resignation, they are not united behind a single replacement candidate.
The Prime Minister, who led his party into historic losses in last week’s local elections, is expected to fight any leadership challenge and spent Wednesday afternoon meeting ministers and MPs in a bid to avert a coup.
Alongside Ms Rayner and Mr Streeting, other figures regarded as potential challengers include former party leader Ed Miliband, armed forces minister Al Carns and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
The prospect of a return to Parliament for Mr Burnham has receded as a growing number of MPs said they would not give up their seats to allow him to contest a by-election, however.
Sir Keir will further seek to wrest back control of the political agenda on Thursday with the introduction of legislation overhauling social housing and “right to buy”, according to the Press Association.
He said his Government was “taking responsibility, rebuilding social housing and delivering the change people voted for” ahead of introducing the Social Housing Renewal Bill, intended to boost the supply of council homes.