UK Minister Dismisses Calls for Early Election Amid Labour Reshuffle
Following the resignation of Angela Rayner over a tax affairs examination, a senior UK government minister has firmly ruled out the possibility of an early election. chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones, stated that Prime Minister Keir Starmer now leads a “strongest possible team” after Rayner’s departure as Deputy Prime Minister, Housing Secretary, and Deputy Labour Leader.
Rayner resigned after an independent ethics investigation, led by Laurie Magnus, steadfast she breached the ministerial code by failing to fully pay stamp duty on a property purchase earlier this year. While the investigation acknowledged she acted in “good faith,” it emphasized the ultimate responsibility of taxpayers to accurately report and settle their liabilities.The issue came to light following media scrutiny of her tax affairs.
Jones dismissed suggestions that the resulting cabinet reshuffle – which included the appointment of David Lammy as Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, and Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary - signaled instability. He also refuted claims that Yvette Cooper’s move from the Home Office to Foreign Secretary indicated dissatisfaction with her performance on immigration.”It’s not instability insofar as the outcomes that we’re delivering are the same,” Jones explained. He emphasized the reshuffle was a decisive step taken by the Prime Minister to solidify the team and focus on public priorities.
Responding to assertions from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage that the situation would expose divisions within the Labour party, Jones stated, “Nigel Farage is wrong there. The Labour Party is not going to split and there won’t be an early election.” A wider junior ministerial reshuffle is currently underway as Starmer seeks to move past the fallout from Rayner’s resignation. The upcoming party conference is expected to include discussion regarding a replacement for Rayner in the deputy leadership role.
