Sir Keir Starmer stood by his deputy at Prime Minister’s Questions, saying he was ‘very proud to sit alongside her’ (Anthony Devlin/PA) (PA Wire)Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Read more
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to make further changes to his top team in the wake of Angela Rayner’s resignation, as part of a major cabinet reshuffle.
It comes as his chief secretary Darren Jones denied that Labour were in crisis, and rebuffed Nigel Farage’s prediction that there would be a general election in 2027.
Asked if Rayner’s resignation over her tax affairs would cause a split in the party, Mr Jones said: “Nigel Farage is wrong there. The Labour Party is not going to split and there won’t be an early election.”
Starmer moved quickly to appoint David Lammy deputy prime minister while Yvette Cooper has been moved from home secretary to take up a new role as foreign secretary, with justice secretary Shabana Mahmood replacing her at the Home Office.
Mr Lammy also becomes justice secretary as well as deputy PM. Lucy Powell, the leader of the House of Commons, and Scottish secretary Ian Murray have been sacked from their roles. In total, a dozen cabinet positions were changed during the reshuffle.
The prime minister’s reshuffle comes after Ms Rayner stepped down after ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus found that she had breached the ministerial code over her underpayment of stamp duty on her £800,000 flat in Hove, East Sussex.
UK politics live: Key pointsLabour denies instability in government after major cabinet reshuffle
Darren Jones denied there was instability in the Labour Government and said it was “quite normal” for administrations to have a reshuffle around this time.
Asked whether he understood that reshuffle could be seen by voters as a sign of instability, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told BBC Breakfast: “It’s not instability insofar as the outcomes that we’re delivering are the same.”
He added: “Look, I think it’s quite normal for governments to have a reshuffle about this time coming into government.”
Holly Evans6 September 2025 09:34
Nigel Farage’s tax affairs are ‘irrelevant’ to voters, says Reform UK deputy
Nigel Farage’s tax affairs are “irrelevant” to voters, according to Reform UK MP Richard Tice.
Mr Tice was asked whether the Reform UK leader would address questions over his partner buying his constituency home in Clacton.
He told Times Radio: “I’m pleased to confirm I’m not his tax adviser. You’ll have to speak to them.
“It’s irrelevant to what voters are concentrating on, which is our messaging, which is the message of hope. We can get out of this nightmare that we’re in.”
Holly Evans6 September 2025 09:17
Labour does not have an ethics problem, says minister
Darren Jones has denied the Labour Government has an “ethics problem”, saying that when such issues “inevitably” come up, there is a system to deal with them.
Asked whether the Government had an ethics problem the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told BBC Breakfast: “No, and let me tell you why.
“This Labour Government strengthened the ethics framework for ministers, and this week has shown that that process is working.”
He added: “This is an example of a proper ethics framework, independently led in practice, so that when these issues inevitably do come up, the public can be reassured and have confidence in the system.”
Sir Keir Starmer will hope to draw a line under the row over Angela Rayner’s tax affairs after reshuffling his Cabinet. (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)
Holly Evans6 September 2025 09:12
Minister denies Yvette Cooper demoted due to immigration issues
Darren Jones has rejected suggestions Yvette Cooper had been moved out of the Home Office because she was failing to get a grip on immigration.
Asked whether this was the reason she had been moved to the Foreign Office, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told Sky News: “No, not at all.”
He said Ms Cooper had achieved a “huge diplomatic win” in securing the returns deal with France and would be “brilliant” as Foreign Secretary.
Holly Evans6 September 2025 08:59
David Lammy, 53, has been the Labour MP for Tottenham since 2000 and is one of the party’s longest-serving parliamentarians.
Born to Guyanese parents in north London, Lammy studied law at SOAS and went on to become the first Black Briton to study at Harvard Law School. He went on to be employed as an attorney before pivoting for a career in politics.
He has previously held ministerial positions under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, which included minister for culture and held various prominent roles in the shadow cabinet.
Upon Labour winning the general election in July 2024, he was appointed Foreign Secretary until this week’s reshuffle. He has now been named the deputy prime minister and justice secretary, one of the most influential roles within the cabinet.
During his 25 years as an MP, Lammy has been particularly recognised for his work on social justice and racial equality, most notably through the 2017 Lammy Review, which examined racial disparities in the UK criminal justice system.
David Lammy has been named Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister (Jonathan Brady/PA) (PA Wire)
Holly Evans6 September 2025 08:37
Chief secretary to Starmer insists there will not be an early election
There will not be an early election, Darren Jones has said.
Asked about Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s suggestion that Angela Rayner’s resignation would open up internal Labour splits and prompt a general election as early as 2027, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told Sky News: “Nigel Farage is wrong there.
“The Labour Party is not going to split and there won’t be an early election.”
Holly Evans6 September 2025 08:26
Darren Jones denies Labour government being in crisis
Sir Keir Starmer had wanted to carry out his reshuffle on a “slightly slower timetable”, but it was “brought forward as a consequence of the former deputy prime minister (Angela Rayner) resigning”, Darren Jones has said.
After it was put to Mr Jones that the Government was in crisis and “ripping it all up and starting again”, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told Sky News: “No – so, I came into work on Monday after the summer recess.
“I was put into this new role as Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister. I’ve been alongside him this week in Number 10 and the Prime Minister was very clear on Monday that coming back into this new term, this was the start of the second chapter of the Labour Government.”
He added: “The fact is, the Prime Minister had been planning to do a reshuffle on a slightly slower timetable, and started to think about putting the ministers he wanted in the places to really drive on delivering reform in line with the public’s priorities.
“And that was accelerated and brought forward as a consequence of the former deputy prime minister resigning.”
Newly-appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones denies government being in crisis (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)
Holly Evans6 September 2025 08:20
‘People make mistakes’, says cabinet minister over Rayner tax affairs
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Darren Jones said that “people make mistakes” as he was questioned about the number of ministers who have already left the Government within a year in power.
Pressed on Labour’s promise to be different from the last government, he told Sky News: “Humans are humans, people have pasts, they make mistakes.
“These things happen. The important point is the system works, so that when these things do happen, as was the case with Angela Rayner and her stamp duty liability, the process kicks in, it’s an independent view, there’s a very clear view of whether the ministerial code has been breached or not, and if it has, there are obvious consequences.”
Holly Evans6 September 2025 08:09
Resident pays for council to clean graffiti outside Angela Rayner’s flat
A resident has paid for the cleanup of graffiti outside Angela Rayner’s seaside flat in Hove, the council has said.
The word “bitch” along with a much larger sign saying “tax evader!” were pictured on a white wall on the outside of the home earlier this week, after it emerged that Ms Rayner admitted underpaying stamp duty on the property.
Ms Rayner quit as deputy prime minister, housing secretary and deputy Labour leader on Friday following an official probe into the admission.
Graffiti outside the apartment building in Hove, East Sussex (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)
The Prime Minister and Ms Rayner both condemned the vandalism, and a Brighton and Hove City Council spokesperson said on Friday: “Due to security concerns, and in line with our policy of removal of offensive graffiti, we have removed graffiti reported in Hove. This has been paid for by a resident.”
Ms Rayner’s spokesperson has called the vandalism “totally unjustifiable and beyond the pale” and said it is a matter for the police.
Across the road from her seafront flat, “Tax evader Rayner” and “Rayner tax avoidance” were graffitied on construction chipboard.
Holly Evans6 September 2025 07:57
Farage to close Reform conference after telling activists to be ready for an election
Nigel Farage will close the Reform Party conference on Saturday, after he told activists to prepare for a general election in two years’ time.
The party leader is due to speak at the end of the two-day event at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, following an address by his deputy Richard Tice.
The main stage will also see a speech titled “Make Britain Healthy Again” by Dr Assem Malhotra, a cardiologist who campaigned against the use of the Covid mRNA vaccines.
Dr Malhotra said the Covid vaccines should be paused in their rollout because of the “uncertainty” around excess deaths.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage waves to the audience after his speech at the party’s annual conference (Jacob King/PA) (PA Wire)
On Friday, Mr Farage told activists during his address that the Government was “deep in crisis” and he could see the country going to the polls in 2027, two years earlier than expected.
It came on the same day as Angela Rayner resigned as deputy prime minister and deputy leader of the Labour Party over breaking the ministerial code.
Mr Farage said: “We’re used to hearing stories of splits in the Conservative Party. We’re about to witness a big rift in the Labour Party, too.”
He added: “Before long, there’ll be Labour MPs that reckon they’ve got a better chance on the (Mr Corbyn) sectarian ticket… they’ve got a better chance of being re-elected under that ticket, under Corbyn, than they do under Sir Keir.”
He went on: “I think there is every chance now of a general election happening in 2027 and we must be ready for that moment.”
Holly Evans6 September 2025 07:23