Title: How Rayner, Streeting, and Burnham Undermined the Prime Minister in a Day of Political Turmoil

On Wednesday, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stood in the House of Lords listening to the King outline the government’s agenda for the year ahead, three of his most significant 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 staunch supporter of Starmer, to end his parliamentary career to bolster Labour’s standing. Meanwhile, Wes Streeting remained in Parliament with his inner circle, debating whether to resign from the health secretary position he had long desired. That same afternoon, Angela Rayner retreated to a London hotel suite to secretly pre-record a television interview addressing her tax matters with HMRC.

The following day, over a span of 12 hours marked by intense political drama that significantly weakened the Prime Minister’s position, all three figures 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. For the former deputy prime minister’s team, the news brought a mixture of relief and vindication. “The key point was she'd been cleared of either tax dodging or being careless,” an ally noted, highlighting that the main emotion was relief. Despite the clearance, Rayner agreed to pay £40,000 in unpaid stamp duty.

Although the timing of HMRC’s decision was unexpected, it proved potentially ideal for Rayner. It emerged just as MPs were divided over Starmer’s leadership, with a potential leadership contest on the horizon. However, Rayner’s team stated she did not wish to overshadow the King’s speech or undermine new legislation she had helped introduce during her time as a minister. Nevertheless, she wanted to make a political impact.

Her team opted to release two interviews—one with a newspaper and one on television—scheduled for publication the following morning. Shortly after the King 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 then 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,” an ally explained. Notably, Rayner had not informed the Prime Minister of her plans.

Streeting’s Resignation

As Westminster scrambled to digest Rayner’s interviews, Streeting was still undecided about his future. “He didn't begin the week planning to resign,” a colleague stated. However, his departure seemed increasingly inevitable as each day passed. During a brief face-to-face meeting on Wednesday, Streeting informed Sir Keir that he had lost confidence in the Prime Minister’s leadership.

Critics labeled the now-former health secretary a “bottler” due to his lack of clarity and the fact that he had not yet gathered enough MP support to formally challenge Starmer. Streeting’s allies denied 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.”

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

Streeting drafted his resignation letter in his wood-panelled ministerial office in the Palace of Westminster. A friend remarked 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