The Prime Minister acknowledged the “huge role” Ms Rayner had played in getting Labour elected in 2024.
Sir Keir Starmer has hinted at a Cabinet return for Angela Rayner (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer has dropped a heavy hint that Angela Rayner could return to a top job, despite her resignation over her tax affairs last year. The Prime Minister praised his former deputy as a “fantastic asset” and said: “I’ve always been clear she has a future role to play.” Signalling that she could have a future role at the heart of government, Sir Keir told Times Radio: “I would like to have Angela back at the right point.”
Sir Keir also underlined Ms Rayner’s influence on Labour’s early record in office, saying: “She played a huge part in the achievement that we got at the last election; getting elected, we’ve just passed the Employment Rights Act, which has got her fingerprints all over it.” And he described the left-winger as “a galvanising figure”.
Angela Rayner concludes her resignation speech in Commons
The comments mark the clearest indication yet that Ms Rayner could make a spectacular comeback to the Cabinet, where she previously served as Communities Secretary as well as Deputy Prime Minister. The left-winger stepped down in September after it emerged she had underpaid stamp duty on an £800,000 flat in Hove. The issue centred on whether the property should have been classified as a second home at the time of purchase, which would have triggered a higher tax rate.
While there was no suggestion of deliberate wrongdoing, the revelation prompted political pressure at a sensitive moment for Keir Starmer‘s administration. Ms Rayner resigned, saying she did not want the issue to become a distraction from Labour’s legislative priorities or damage public confidence in the Government’s approach to integrity in public life.
Confirming her decision in a speech to the House of Commons at the time, she said: “”There is no excuse not to pay taxes owed, and I will do so. This was an honestly-made mistake, but when you make a mistake, you take responsibility.”
She added: “People wrote me off, assumed that I would be on benefits the whole of my life. But I wanted to prove them wrong. I’ve carried that with me, whether it’s on these benches, at the despatch box or representing this country abroad.”
Her departure was a significant blow for Labour’s leadership team. Ms Rayner, who was also Labour’s deputy leader, held one of the most powerful positions in government and her presence eassured left-wing party activists that they had a voice at the highest level of the party.
She was a central figure in Sir Keir’s project to reunite Labour after years of internal division, and played a major role in shaping his message to voters ahead of the election.
Ms Rayner’s influence extended beyond her formal title. She was closely associated with Labour’s agenda on workers’ rights and employment protections, areas that became early legislative priorities once the party entered government. Allies say her role in developing and promoting those policies helped Labour reconnect with core voters while maintaining unity across the parliamentary party.
Despite her resignation, Ms Rayner remains a popular and influential figure within Labour. The MP for Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester is seen as a potential successor to Sir Keir Starmer. Even if she chose not to run for the leadership herself, her backing would be expected to carry significant weight in any future contest.
