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Sir Keir Starmer clings on. Follow authoritative coverage as Labour’s woes continue.
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Angela Rayner quit in September after it was revealed she had failed to pay the correct stamp duty on her second home |
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Robert Mendick Chief Reporter |
Back in September, The Telegraph disclosed that Angela Rayner had failed to pay £40,000 in tax on the purchase of an £800,000 holiday home on the south coast.
Rayner, who was deputy prime minister, denied all wrongdoing and repeatedly insisted she had paid the correct stamp duty: £30,000 rather than the full £70,000 The Telegraph said she should have paid.
However, she had to resign anyway, after the Cabinet’s ethics watchdog concluded she had underpaid and had, as a consequence, broken the ministerial code.
Angela Rayner bought her three-bedroom flat in Brighton last year |
Surprise, surprise: as Sir Keir Starmer was knifed in the front, back and sides this week, Rayner finally stumped up the extra £40,000 she owed.
On Monday, her lawyer, one of Britain’s leading tax KCs, sent a final legal letter to HMRC with all the evidence he could muster, requesting that they close the case with no further penalties.
Fortunately for Rayner, HMRC did just that 24 hours later, informing her that she would face no additional financial penalty.
Rayner is a very lucky lady, according to tax experts, and free to mount a leadership challenge against Starmer. She may be £40,000 poorer, but she’s now several steps closer to seizing the keys to No 10.
For subscribers only ➤
Rayner makes £250k from the back benches ➤
Rayner had VIP hotline to HMRC over unpaid tax bill ➤ |
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Daniel Martin Deputy Political Editor |
Sir Keir Starmer was still clinging to power last night – but an uneasy truce between his three potential challengers had broken out, which could mean he will be gone by the summer.
The three major candidates all made significant interventions yesterday that looked set to seal the Prime Minister’s fate.
Bitter rivals Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner both demanded that Andy Burnham should be part of any contest for Labour’s future – and a weakened Starmer was reluctantly forced to agree.
The drama in Westminster yesterday began at dawn when Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, announced that HMRC had cleared her of deliberate wrongdoing over her tax affairs – allowing her to stand in any future contest.
At lunchtime, Streeting resigned as health secretary – demanding Starmer set a date for his departure but stopping short of declaring his candidature to succeed him.
In a scathing resignation letter, Streeting told the Prime Minister it was ‘clear’ that he would not lead Labour into the next election |
At teatime, Burnham revealed he had persuaded an MP to step aside to allow him to stand in a by-election, smoothing his way to challenge the Prime Minister for the leadership.
Just two months ago Starmer and his allies on Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) blocked Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election. Labour lost its former stronghold to the Green Party.
However, last night, Downing Street said the NEC would not stand in Burnham’s way.
Starmer now gets to stay on until the summer as a by-election cannot be held until mid-June at the earliest, and only then can a leadership contest be held.
This reporting is available only to subscribers.
Read the full story here ➤
Burnham launches bid for No 10 ➤
Streeting claims to have fixed the NHS. Here’s the truth ➤ |
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Tom Harris A long-dead casualty of the unpredictability of by-elections should make Andy Burnham take note Continue reading ➤
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard Starmer is not alone. It is hell to be a leader in Europe today Continue reading ➤
Tim Spector Childhood obesity is a form of institutional child abuse Continue reading ➤ |
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Turkey’s government does not have the technology or expertise needed to mine the millions of tons of ore found in Beylikova |
Turkey is torn between the US and China as Ankara deliberates with whom to partner after discovering one of the world’s largest deposits of rare earths, used in everything from fighter jets to mobile phones. Donald Trump needs to win the global mineral war America is fighting with China – and Turkey could hold the key. However, locals don’t trust the US, even less so after Trump went to war with Iran. Sophia Yan visits the mine in question to speak with nearby residents.
Continue reading ➤
Follow the latest: Trump brushes off Xi claim that US is ‘declining nation’ on day two of China summit ➤ |
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Abdul Halim Khan was found guilty of sexually abusing girls as young as 12 |
To Muslims in Tower Hamlets, Abdul Halim Khan was a respected imam, but during private guidance sessions, he preyed on girls as young as 12. Claiming he was possessed by a “jinn”, a supernatural spirit, Khan weaponised his victims’ deep religious faith to enforce a wall of silence, until one brave child triggered his downfall. Continue reading ➤ |
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The Princess of Wales helps prepare lunch at the Agriturismo Al Vigneto on her second day in Italy |
The Princess of Wales has said arrivederci to Italy after a swift but effective two-day trip which ended with her making pasta for local families in Reggio Emilia, writes Hannah Furness, our Royal Editor. It has been a classic royal visit and she has made it look easy. It should serve as a big confidence boost to her after her illness. She has been missed, and is – we’re told – ready to get back at it again asap. Sign up to Hannah’s Royal Appointment newsletter for more exclusive analysis like this ➤ |
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Mary Husted in 1963 with Luke, later renamed Ian, and mother and son today |
When I gave birth in 1963, at just 18, I felt a searing love for my baby, mixed with terror, writes Mary Husted. What followed was heartrending loss – I am one of an estimated 250,000 women who were forced to give up their children for adoption between the 1940s and 1980s. Decades later, I tracked down my boy, and found him. This is what happened. Continue reading ➤ |
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The Government is on the verge of collapse, borrowing costs have spiked and we’re staring down the barrel of a very uncertain future. However, every cloud has a silver lining, and there is a way for savvy investors to profit from the chaos – almost entirely without risk. Telegraph Money explains how. Continue reading ➤ Here’s another useful article for you this morning:
- The science of “chrononutrition” suggests that an earlier evening meal could make a significant difference to your long-term health. Our expert explains why.
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‘The show teeters on the line between social satire and silliness’ |
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Benji Wilson |
Rivals remains the most brilliant show on television. While its cadre of cads – from Alex Hassell’s Rupert Campbell-Black to David Tennant’s back-from-the-dead Lord Tony Baddingham – continue to delight, the show’s heartbeat resides with the ever-wondrous Katherine Parkinson, who appears in a series of trysts with Danny Dyer that surely no one could have predicted would be so moving. Rivals continues to provide a heady mix of guilty pleasure, trenchant satire, rambunctious comedy and out-and-out trash. Plus, characters taking their clothes off and jumping into swimming pools for no reason. The first three episodes of the new series are available now on Disney+.
Read the full review ➤
My colleague, Sophia Money-Coutts, spoke to Bella Maclean, who plays Taggie O’Hara, wallflower and possible paramour of Rupert Campbell-Black.
Cupboard love: Bella Maclean’s Taggie O’Hara and Alex Hassell’s Rupert Campbell Black |
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Sophia Money-Coutts |
The first series of Rivals was the most joyful TV hit of the year and, having had a sneak peak, I reckon the second series may even surpass it. So what a joy and honour it was to meet and chat to Bella Maclean, who plays the gorgeous Taggie, and is immensely like the character in real life – naturally beautiful, very charming and a tiny bit scruffy. The late Jilly Cooper, she told me, was much missed from the filming of the second series, but from the sounds of the storyline – more shagging, more steam, more shenanigans – they’ve all done her proud. Will Taggie and Rupert Campbell-Black make a go of it after that passionate clinch in front of the Aga? Well, you’ll have to watch and find out.
Continue reading ➤
Plus, if you’d like to take some style tips from Taggie, these are the beauty lessons from the 1980s worth revisiting.
The Telegraph Beauty Team |
The 80s are often considered the decade that style forgot. Anyone who was around then might get horrified flashbacks when they see the power perms and overly saccharine make-up looks bound to grace the new season of Rivals. Honestly? There are some gems to try again. Our beauty experts show you the modern way to do blue eyeshadow, bold brows and more.
Read the full guide ➤ |
Cuckoo, where are you?Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal reader correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
In recent days, Telegraph readers have been waiting in suspense. No, Wes Streeting, it had nothing to do with you. The burning question was first posed by Diana Castle, writing from Kent: “‘In May he sings all day’ – but has anyone heard a cuckoo yet?”
Yes, in some corners of the country, the summer-heralding songster appears to have been conspicuously absent. Replies arrived from others feeling similar short-changed.
It turns out, however, that there’s something of a postcode lottery in operation. Rev Karen West brought reassuring news from Hampshire: “I am happy to report the daily hearing (if not actual viewing) of several cuckoos as I walk Monty, my cocker spaniel, around the ancient Roman walls of Calleva Atrebatum, now known as Silchester. The bluebells were early this year, but the cuckoos waited until May 1 to make their appearance.”
Tim Bradbury, meanwhile, “heard cuckoo song in the Peak District, on a walk above Edale and Barber Booth”. He added: “I am glad to have been on this jaunt, as the last time I heard a cuckoo was several decades ago. Good for the soul.”
Alas, the song is proving more elusive for Jayne Fidler: “In the first week of May, we heard a cuckoo as we walked up Wansfell Pike in the Lake District. On May 12, walking along the Grand Union Canal towpath in Watford, I heard another – then realised it was a message on my friend’s phone.”
Margaret Reed reported a similar experience: “I too was fooled into thinking I had heard a cuckoo. What I discovered was actually a similarly voiced woodpigeon perched on the chimney stack.” Are you still waiting to hear a cuckoo? Send your responses here and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of this newsletter.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. |
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An Amazon driver who stole from a customer’s house appeared in court yesterday. What did he allegedly take?
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Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including The 1% Club, Cogs, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was DEFRAUDED. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. |
Please let me know what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here.
Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow.
Chris Evans, Editor |
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Sir Keir Starmer clings on. Follow authoritative coverage as Labour’s woes continue.
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