A comedy of errors: The fallout from Angela Rayner’s resignation

To resign or not to resign, that is the question. A week is a long time in politics, as Harold Wilson’s oft-repeated adage goes, and so it proved for our embattled government, with the resignation of Angela Rayner.

The departure of the then Deputy Prime Minister came after an ethics inquiry discovered her mishandling of stamp duty payments (or lack thereof) in the purchase of a property in Hove. However, it was quickly overshadowed by the sacking of Peter Mandelson for his association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The end of a whirlwind seven days saw Dan Hodges tweet rumours of mounting panic in Downing Street, suggesting Peter Mandelson intended to bring down Keir Starmer with him. But if you carry a scorpion across the river, you can hardly be surprised when it stings.

When compared to Mandelson, Rayner certainly seems hard done by. Since the Labour Party romped to a landslide election victory, significant media resources have been spent on picking through Rayner’s affairs. It is difficult to ignore the correlation between her status as a working-class woman and the special attention media moguls pay her. Comparing her case to that of Nigel Farage, who is also in hot water over alleged non-payment of stamp duty by his partner, does little to dispel these feelings.

Maybe Rayner should have tried to ride out the storm. To ‘consider the matter closed’ was a staple of the previous government, which she might have revived

On the other hand, Rayner was the second most well-known member of the government, and while Farage may be more famous, perhaps we should expect better of those currently steering the ship. However, it is hard to imagine that if Farage comes to power, the trappings of office will suddenly bring about a compulsion to resign. Nevertheless, Rayner’s housing portfolio raises questions. How, voters might ask, can the minister responsible for legislating on stamp duty remain in the role when they are themselves found to misunderstand these rules?

To return to our Shakespearean cliché, maybe Rayner should have tried to ride out the storm. To ‘consider the matter closed’ was a staple of the previous government, which she might have revived. However, it seems unlikely that the reporters would have given up; even the Teflon-like Boris Johnson had to go eventually.

Maybe then, Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi’s bombastic spin doctor) was right, perhaps there is such a thing as “a good resignation”. You go a bit early, steely look in the eye, people like that, and say you’ve been hounded by the press, you’ll be back in no time. Certainly, it seems a less inglorious end than that of Boris.

The May 2026 local elections might be just enough time for a rehabilitated Rayner’s return

Indeed, Rayner seems to be missed already. Starmer certainly appears weaker following his deputy’s resignation, scorpion stings notwithstanding. In the Labour Party deputy leadership contest, Bridget Phillipson squares off against Lucy Powell. The former has previously exalted her working-class roots, while the latter has been backed for her northern credentials by king-over-the-water Andy Burnham. It is yet to be seen how either will take to the job, but they lack Angela Raynor’s profile, at least currently.

Rayner might take heart from the story of our scorpion, though I am sure she would want the comparisons to cease there. Mandelson, having resigned several times, has resurfaced to make several more river crossings. With the quickening of prime ministerial rise and falls, a higher calling might appear sooner than expected, as bookmakers now predict 2026 as the likeliest year that Starmer goes. The May 2026 local elections might be just enough time for a rehabilitated Rayner’s return. With bookmakers now touting Andy Burnham as the favourite to take the top job, a man conspicuously lacking the key credential of parliament membership, stranger things could happen.