Title: A Twelve-Hour Storm: How Rayner, Streeting, and Burnham Undermined the Prime Minister

On Wednesday, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stood in the House of Lords listening to the King outline the government’s legislative agenda, his three most significant internal rivals within the Labour Party were already plotting their next strategic moves. Andy Burnham spent the day trying to convince MP Josh Simons, a former loyalist of Starmer, to end his parliamentary career in order to bolster Labour’s position. Meanwhile, Wes Streeting remained in Parliament with his inner circle, debating whether to resign from the health secretary role he had desired for years. That same afternoon, Angela Rayner retreated to a London hotel room to secretly record a television interview addressing her tax settlement with HMRC.

The following day, a twelve-hour period of intense political turmoil unfolded, significantly damaging the Prime Minister’s standing. All three rivals then moved into action.

Rayner’s Strategic Return

The crucial email from HMRC arrived in the inbox of Rayner’s tax lawyer, Graham Aaronson, on Tuesday afternoon. According to an ally, the reaction within the former deputy prime minister’s team was one of relief mixed with vindication. “The key point was she'd been cleared of either tax dodging or being careless,” the ally noted. Nevertheless, Rayner agreed to pay £40,000 in outstanding stamp duty.

Although the timing of HMRC’s decision was unforeseen, it proved potentially ideal for Rayner. It occurred just as MPs were divided regarding Starmer’s leadership, with a leadership contest appearing increasingly likely. However, allies state that Rayner wished to avoid overshadowing the King’s Speech or undermining new legislation she had helped draft during her time as a minister. Despite this, she wanted to ensure her message was heard. Her team opted to release two interviews—one with a newspaper and one on television—delaying publication until the following morning.

Shortly after the monarch removed his Imperial State Crown and robes and returned to Buckingham Palace by carriage, Rayner met with Guardian journalist Pippa Crerar in central London. She subsequently sat down with ITV’s Paul Brand in a nearby hotel suite. Both interviews were released at 06:00 on Thursday. “It was timed to ensure we got it out, and it had a fair wave of attention before other dramas kicked off,” explained an ally. Notably, Rayner had not informed the Prime Minister of these plans.

Streeting’s Resignation

As Westminster scrambled to digest Rayner’s interviews, Streeting remained undecided on whether to stay in or leave the cabinet. “He didn’t begin the week planning to resign,” a colleague stated. Yet, with each passing day, his departure seemed more certain. During a brief face-to-face meeting on Wednesday, Streeting informed Sir Keir that he had lost confidence in the Prime Minister’s leadership.

This ambiguity led critics to label the now-former health secretary a “bottler,” accusing him of lacking the necessary number of MP signatures to formally challenge Starmer. Streeting’s allies firmly reject this characterization. “I've seen the spreadsheet,” one claimed. Another colleague added, “He'd been calling round MPs and had got the numbers he needed, but through those conversations he'd concluded that any contest would have to enable the broadest set of candidates. That meant giving Andy Burnham a chance to state his intention and come back if he wanted.”

Furthermore, Streeting’s team recognized that without a credible chance of victory, he would struggle to maintain the support of Labour MPs, particularly if difficult legislation arose. Streeting finalized his decision on Thursday morning. “He had a few cabinet ministers and people in Number 10 asking him not to go,” a supporter recalled. “But he spoke to friends and colleagues in Parliament and made up his mind.”

Streeting drafted his resignation letter in his wood-paneled office within the Palace of Westminster. A friend noted that he did not take the decision lightly. “But once he'd made it, he was certain it was right and honourable. It was done with a heavy heart but with total conviction.” Streeting was with his

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-05-15 20:21:08 UTC