Keir Starmer with Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham at a primary school in Ashton-under-Lyne last month.Angela Rayner has been cleared of any wrongdoing by the tax man – leaving her free to launch a Labour leadership bid.
The former deputy prime minister has paid the £40,000 she owed His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, who said they were satisfied there had been no tax avoidance.
Speaking to The Guardian, Rayner also refused to rule out standing in a Labour leadership contest, but insisted she would not directly challenge Keir Starmer.
Rayner said: “I’ve made it clear that I wasn’t going to trigger the prime minister – and that I want to see change. I want to see actions, not just words.”
Pressed on whether the prime minister should step aside for another leader, she said he would “have to reflect on that.”
She added: “I’ve said to Keir this is a really significant moment for our party and the country.
“The pace of change hasn’t been enough for voters to see, and also mistakes have really blown us off course and made voters doubt us.”
Rayner said she would “play my part in doing everything we possibly can to deliver the change” as she refused to rule out throwing her hat into the ring if a leadership contest takes place.
“Whatever role I can play, I will keep pushing and pushing hard because I want the people out there at the moment who are really struggling … to know that I’m putting all my energy into fighting for them,” she said.
Rayner was forced to quit as deputy PM last September after it emerged she did not pay the correct amount of stamp duty when buying a property near Brighton.
In a statement this morning, she said: “I have been exonerated by HMRC of the accusation that I deliberately sought to avoid tax.
“I set out to pay the correct amount of tax. I took reasonable care and acted in good faith, based on the expert advice I received, and HMRC has accepted this.
“I have always sought to act with integrity, and I believe politicians should be held to high standards – that is why I resigned from government and co-operated fully with HMRC.
“I wanted to ensure that I paid every penny that I owed, and have done so. I am relieved that my family can now move on – and that I can get on with my job.”
The news that Rayner had been cleared by HMRC came as Wes Streeting prepares to quit cabinet as soon as today to challenge the prime minister.
Pressure is also mounting on Andy Burnham to say whether or not he has found a Labour MP who has agreed to stand down to let him run in a by-election so he can return to Westminster to mount his own leadership bid.
Rayner told ITV that she has not done any deals with the Greater Manchester mayor which would see her stay out of any contest to allow him to run.
Ed Miliband is also thought to be considering whether he should run as the soft-left candidate in any race.
Cabinet ministers are also rallying support for Starmer, who has told allies he will not quit.
Under Labour rules, any challenger would need the support of one-fifth of the party’s MPs, which at the moment is 81.
As the sitting leader, Starmer would automatically go on the ballot paper, and has told allies he is determined to stand.
The PM spent yesterday meeting ministers and Labour MPs in a bid to rally support behind him.
Cabinet ministers loyal to the prime minister have also been in the Commons tearoom urging Labour MPs not to back any challenge to his leadership and “plunge the party into chaos”.
They said any contest would “paralyse” the government for months.
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