Overview

• Rayner stepped down on September 5 after the prime minister’s independent adviser concluded she breached the ministerial code by not taking recommended professional advice.
• Reports say she paid the stamp-duty rate for a main residence on a second home in May, cutting the bill by about £40,000, and she said the underpayment was not intentional and expressed regret for not seeking extra guidance.
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched a broad reshuffle, appointing Rami as deputy prime minister and justice secretary, moving Cooper to foreign secretary, and naming Mahmud as home secretary.
• The issue surfaced after the Daily Telegraph’s late‑August reporting triggered scrutiny and Rayner’s request for a formal review.
• The resignation is a political setback for Labour, which has been struggling with low approval over its handling of illegal migration.