^{Photo: CNN}

The UK political landscape was rocked on Friday after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced her resignation, admitting she underpaid property tax on a home purchase. The departure marks the most severe blow yet to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration, which is already facing mounting criticism and slipping support in the polls.

Rayner, 45, who also stepped down as Labour’s deputy leader, acknowledged her error in an emotional resignation letter to Starmer. “I deeply regret my decision to not seek additional specialist tax advice. I take full responsibility for this error,” she wrote. The case involved an estimated £40,000 ($54,000) in unpaid tax tied to a property transaction.

A Heavy Loss for Starmer
Rayner’s departure is the eighth ministerial resignation from Starmer’s government outside of scheduled reshuffles—more than any incoming UK prime minister in nearly half a century. The scale of turnover has now surpassed even Boris Johnson’s turbulent early tenure, highlighting the fragility of Starmer’s leadership despite Labour’s commanding parliamentary majority.

Starmer expressed sadness at her departure, calling Rayner a “trusted colleague and a true friend.” He acknowledged the personal difficulty of her decision but admitted the ruling from Britain’s independent adviser on ministerial standards left her little choice. The adviser determined Rayner had breached the ministerial code by failing to seek specialist guidance on her financial arrangements, despite being warned to do so.

Political Fallout and Opposition Response
The resignation comes at a politically sensitive moment for Labour, which is trailing Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK in recent polls. Reform seized on the scandal, with Farage reshuffling his party conference speech to capitalize on the news. Declaring the Labour government “in deep crisis,” Farage suggested that a general election could be called as early as 2027, despite Labour’s large parliamentary cushion.

“Despite all the promises that this would be a new, different type of politics, this government is as bad, if not worse, than the one that went before,” Farage told an energized Birmingham audience, drawing thunderous applause.

Rayner’s Role and Broader Implications
For Starmer, the loss of Rayner is more than symbolic. A former working-class single mother who rose to the top of British politics, Rayner bridged Labour’s ideological divides and held wider public appeal than the prime minister himself. Her departure removes a key unifying force within the party and raises questions about Labour’s ability to maintain stability as it navigates economic challenges and public scrutiny.

Some Labour lawmakers acknowledged that Rayner had little choice but to resign but warned her absence could destabilize the government. One lawmaker suggested she may remain quiet in the short term but could re-emerge later to challenge Starmer’s leadership.

Personal Dimension
Rayner explained that the controversy stemmed from her decision to sell her share of her family home in northern England to fund the purchase of an apartment in Hove. The sale was made to a trust she had established for one of her sons, who has lifelong disabilities. Believing the transaction exempted her from second-home tax, she later discovered she had miscalculated and pledged to repay the additional amount owed.

Her emotional interviews this week underscored the personal toll of the scandal, which has affected both her political career and her family.

Looking Ahead
The resignation adds to Labour’s mounting challenges as the government faces tough decisions on public spending, taxation, and efforts to repair its image after multiple controversies over donations and ministerial conduct.

While Starmer has pledged to move forward, the loss of his deputy—arguably one of Labour’s most relatable and broadly appealing figures—marks a defining moment early in his premiership. Whether the party can recover its footing before the next election will depend on how it manages both internal unity and mounting external criticism.