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    Cabinet reshuffle live: Starmer makes Lammy deputy PM and Cooper foreign secretary after Rayner resignation

    Angela Rayner resigns after report reveals she broke ministerial code on stamp dutySir Keir Starmer moved quickly to appoint David Lammy deputy prime minister as the PM embarked on a major cabinet reshuffle followingAngela Rayner’s resignation after an investigation into her tax affairs.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.She told the prime minister in a letter that “I deeply regret my decision to not seek additional specialist tax advice” and took “full responsibility for this error”.But former deputy Labour leader Baroness Harman told Sky News she believed there was a way back for Ms Rayner.She said: “She’s still got in the bank all that commitment from the Labour Party. So, I would say there is a way back for her – and I strongly believe that.”How did Angela Rayner manage to underpay stamp duty? A legal expert explainsTom Watling6 September 2025 03:07Farage predicts 2027 general election in warning over Labour ‘rift’Farage predicts 2027 general election in warning over Labour ‘rift’Nigel Farage said he thinks there is “every chance now of a general election happening in 2027” as he addressed Reform UK’s party conference in Birmingham shortly after Angela Rayner resigned on Friday, 5 September. The Reform leader warned of a “big rift” in Labour and told attendees in a keynote speech: “Before long, there’ll be Labour MPs that reckon they’ve got a better chance on the Jeremy Corbyn sectarian ticket … they’ve got a better chance of being re-elected under that ticket, under Corbyn, than they do under Sir Keir.” His comments came following the deputy prime minister’s announcement that she would step 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.Tom Watling6 September 2025 02:01Andrea Jenkyns belts out own song in bizarre Reform conference entranceAndrea Jenkyns belts out own song in bizarre Reform conference entranceDame Andrea Jenkyns walked onstage at the Reform UK conference, belting out a song entitled “Insomniac” that she said she wrote. The mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, walked onstage at the party’s two-day conference at Birmingham’s NEC on Friday (5 September) in a sparkly jumpsuit before breaking into song. She said: “Are this awful Labour government giving you sleepless nights as well?,” adding that she co-wrote the song 20 years ago with a friend. Dame Andrea’s website says she is a soprano who has been singing since her childhood.Tom Watling6 September 2025 01:04Rayner’s resignation shows this government is worse than the last, Farage declares in Reform conference speechTom Watling6 September 2025 00:00Scottish Labour leader thanks Murray for ‘service’ Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has thanked the outgoing Scotland minister Ian Murray for his “service”. Tom Watling5 September 2025 23:15Jones speaks out after new cabinet appointment Tom Watling5 September 2025 22:44Reform football shirts go on sale at party’s 2025 conferenceReform football shirts go on sale at party’s 2025 conferenceTom Watling5 September 2025 22:16Mahmood to deliver ‘tough message’ on immigration, report claims Home secretary Shabana Mahmood will deliver a “tough message” on immigration as she looks to regain control of the narrative following a summer of unrest, sources have claimed. The former justice minister took over from Yvette Cooper today after the resignation of deputy prime minister Angela Rayner triggered a major cabinet reshuffle from Sir Keir Starmer. Sources have told The Telegraph that Ms Mahmood is expected to take a more hardline approach to the small boat crossings than her predecessor. “She has coped with the prison crisis pretty well without a drastic kind of backlash. Now it’s about getting Shabana in that position to try to claw back some of the ground that Labour has lost on immigration,” said a source.“She will be able to deliver some tough messages around immigration because of her Pakistani heritage, which Yvette Cooper might have found much harder.”Tom Watling5 September 2025 22:06Reform UK council leader George Finch, 19, says sixth form is a ‘complete joke’A teenage Reform UK council leader has called sixth form a “complete joke” and said it only helps young people develop a “woke mindset”.George Finch, the 19-year-old leader of Warwickshire County Council, called for more hands-on courses at the Reform UK party conference in Birmingham.“The education system is broken. I’m probably one of the closest to being in school (on this panel) and being in sixth forms and universities.“It’s a joke. It’s a complete joke. Sixth forms you’re meant to develop your learning from GCSEs – you don’t develop anything.“The only thing you do develop is a woke mindset.“You’re not allowed to question what’s going on. You’re not allowed to question the way you think. You’re just told to think a certain way.“So in our politics classes, it was why I always asked – it was very simple – why so accepting? Why are we so accepting of the things that are happening?”Tom Watling5 September 2025 21:46Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf praises Tommy Robinson for grooming gang campaigningReform UK’s newly-appointed head of policy has praised Tommy Robinson’s campaigning on grooming gangs, but has repeated that he will not be allowed to join the party.Zia Yusuf, Reform’s former chairman, told a fringe event at the party’s conference at the NEC in Birmingham that he recognised Mr Robinson’s activism.Mr Yusuf was announced as the party’s new head of policy by Nigel Farage on the first day of the two-day conference on Friday.Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who founded the English Defence League (EDL) has previously been jailed for contempt of court after repeating false allegations about a Syrian refugee who successfully sued him for libel.In 2019, he also served time in prison for putting grooming trials in Huddersfield at risk by breaking reporting restrictions that were in place to ensure the proceedings were fair.Speaking to Spectator editor and former education secretary Michael Gove at an event on Friday, Mr Yusuf was asked who was worse, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn or Mr Robinson.Mr Yusuf said Mr Corbyn was worse as he said he would not use the nuclear deterrent, “rendering our entire Trident programme null and void”.He went on to say: “I would say this too. Tommy Robinson has said things about the rape gangs, and was making those arguments for years, and was disparaged and has been proven to be correct on those matters and deserves some credit for that.”The answer was applauded by some members of the audience.He was asked by Mr Gove whether Mr Robinson would be allowed to join Reform, with Mr Yusuf immediately saying “No”.(James Manning/PA) More

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    Starmer forced to shake up top team after Rayner resigns over tax row

    Sir Keir Starmer has been forced to conduct a major reshuffle of his top team after Angela Rayner sensationally quit as both housing secretary and deputy prime minister, after admitting she failed to pay £40,000 in tax when purchasing a property.The resignation comes as a hammer blow to the prime minister and piles further pressure on his government, which is significantly lagging behind Reform UK in the polls and has faced mounting criticism for not achieving enough in its first year in power. It followed 48 hours of Ms Rayner trying to hold on to her job before she was told the game was up on Thursday night, before the publication of a report by ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus.Angela Rayner said she had believed, on legal advice, that she was liable for the standard rate of stamp duty More

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    How did Angela Rayner manage to underpay stamp duty? A legal expert explains

    The debate over former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner’s tax arrangements demonstrated that there are few topics more complex than the law of trusts. It was politically awkward, to say the least, when a deputy PM and housing secretary had to admit getting it wrong and underpaying £40,000 in stamp duty.Rayner has resigned after being found to have breached the ministerial code in the wake of the stamp duty row. That erupted after she was said to have put her share of her constituency home in Greater Manchester in trust for her son, and to have bought another home in Hove, East Sussex, paying a lower rate of stamp duty than should be owed by a second homeowner.In Rayner’s case, a probable oversight and a trust created with legitimate intentions got caught up in legislation designed to discourage tax avoidance and ownership of a second home. Of course, it also left her open to accusations of hypocrisy, as a member of a government that championed higher taxes for second homeowners.Earlier in the week, Rayner had said she took legal advice on the purchase. But her conveyancers then claimed not to have advised her on any additional tax liabilities that might have arisen due to the existence of a trust for her child.So what is a trust – and why are they controversial for tax purposes?Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner More

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    Yvette Cooper ‘to leave job’ as Starmer reshuffles cabinet after Angela Rayner resignation: UK Politics live

    Angela Rayner resigns after report reveals she broke ministerial code on stamp dutyHome secretary Yvette Cooper is reportedly set to lose her job as Sir Keir Starmer embarks on a major cabinet reshuffle followingAngela Rayner stepping down as deputy prime minister after an investigation into her tax affairs.Lucy Powell, the Leader of the House of Commons, and Scottish Secretary Ian Murray have already been sacked this afternoon, while Ms Cooper could be moved from the Home Office and become foreign secretary, The Telegraph reported. 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.She told the prime minister in a letter that “I deeply regret my decision to not seek additional specialist tax advice” and took “full responsibility for this error”.In a letter responding to her resignation, the prime minister said he was “very sad” that her time in government had come to an end and that he had “nothing but admiration” for her.Yvette Cooper ‘to be sacked from Home Office’Yvette Cooper is set to be sacked from her job as home secretary, according to reports.Sir Keir Starmer has embarked upon a major reshuffle after Angela Rayner stepped down as deputy prime minister following an investigation into her tax affairs.The Telegraph is reporting that Ms Cooper could be moved to foreign secretary.There is speculation that justice secretary Shabana Mahmood, is in prime position to take Ms Cooper’s job at the Home Office.Joe Middleton5 September 2025 15:47Watch: Andrea Jenkyns belts out own song in bizarre Reform conference entranceAndrea Jenkyns belts out own song in bizarre Reform conference entranceJoe Middleton5 September 2025 15:38Starmer cabinet reshuffle: Who is in and who is out as PM overhauls his top teamThe Independent’s Archie Mitchell reportsSir Keir Starmer has launched a major cabinet reshuffle after Angela Rayner’s resignation as housing secretary and deputy prime minister.The prime minister is seeking to relaunch his government as it lags behind Reform UK in the polls and struggles to deliver on key promises.Ms Rayner resigned after Sir Keir’s ethics advisor concluded she had breached the ministerial code by failing to pay the correct amount of stamp duty on the purchase of an £800,000 flat in Hove.Joe Middleton5 September 2025 15:20Scottish secretary Ian Murray sacked by StarmerIan Murray has been sacked as Scottish Secretary in Sir Keir Starmer’s reshuffle, sources said.Mr Murray has represented Edinburgh South since 2010 – and was the only Scottish Labour MP left in Westminster after the party’s 2019 general election defeat.A critic of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, Mr Murray has campaigned against Scottish independence and won the backing of Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown during an unsuccessful bid for the Labour deputy leadership in 2020.In a statement on X he said it was a “privilege” to play a role in bringing Labour back to power.Joe Middleton5 September 2025 15:12Lucy Powell said it was an ‘an honour’ to serve in government and confirms sackingLucy Powell, the Leader of the House of Commons, has said it has been “an honour to serve in the first Labour Government in 15 years” as the Manchester Central MP confirmed she had been sacked in a post on X.In a statement she said: “I spoke to the Prime Minister earlier today and he informed me of his intention to appoint a new Leader of the House of Commons.”It has been an honour to serve in the first Labour Government in 15 years, particularly as Leader of the House. It’s been a role I’ve really enjoyed – overseeing the first Labour King’s Speech in a generation with such an ambitious and transformative legislative programme, taking on vested interests in the service of ordinary people.”I’ve also had a big agenda of modernising the Commons – I’ve tightened the rules on MPs’ second jobs – with more to come, standing up for the different voices in the House, family-friendly measures and have been embarking on improved accessibility and inclusion. These are the changes a Labour Government can and should be making.”This has not been an easy time for the Government. People want to see change and improvements to their difficult lives. Nor in politics more generally, not least with the rise of abuse, misrepresentation, social media echo chambers and the call for easy answers. As women in public life, we experience this all the more. The future of our democracy looks uncertain and Parliament and representational politics has an important role to play.”Living and raising my children in my home city of Manchester has always given me a different perspective of politics. My first job has always been to represent the residents of Manchester Central, and I look forward to using my voice and my role on in Parliament to ensure they see the change they long for.”Joe Middleton5 September 2025 14:58Nigel Farage football shirts on sale at Reform conference as supporters gather in BirminghamThe shirts, which are flying off the shelves, are being sold for £40 – or particularly keen activists can buy two for £75.For those who wanted something cheaper there were £15 caps or football terrace themed scarves to cheer on their top team.Joe Middleton5 September 2025 14:45’Mixed feelings’ in Hove around Rayner’s resignation Locals gathered outside Angela Rayner’s seaside flat in Hove discussed “mixed feelings” about the outgoing deputy prime minister.“She was very busy and when you are busy you don’t always use common sense,” said Ann, who is from Australia but lives in the UK.The group echoed that it was a “shame” but agreed with Ann that “£40,000 is an awful lot of money for some people”.( More

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    Voices: Readers clash over digital ID cards – from ‘Big Brother state’ fears to ‘making life easier’

    Plans to introduce digital ID cards as part of the government’s efforts to tackle illegal migration have sparked sharp debate among Independent readers, dividing opinion almost evenly.A recent poll of our community found 50 per cent in favour of the move, arguing the cards could help reduce benefit fraud, close loopholes exploited by gangs and limit illegal working, which many see as a key “pull factor” behind Channel crossings. Some pointed to systems already in place across Europe, saying the UK was lagging behind in adopting modern safeguards.But 44 per cent opposed the idea, warning it would undermine privacy and civil liberties. Several readers described it as the first step towards a “dystopian nightmare”, forcing ordinary people to prove their identity to go about daily life. They argued that digital IDs would not stop small boat crossings and would instead punish law-abiding citizens.Many comments revealed a deep scepticism about whether the government’s focus on ID cards addresses the real drivers of migration. Others saw it as another example of politicians reaching for headline policies without tackling root causes.Here’s what you had to say:ID cards abroad work well and protect freedomsI’ve lived and worked overseas where ID cards are mandatory and civil liberties seem much better protected than in the UK. We already have a national insurance number and most carry a photo driving licence, or most of the older generation carry a photo bus pass. Of course, those looking to exploit workers who have to accept low cash-in-hand wages will cry foul, but if we truly want to sort the problem out, put effort into processing asylum claims quickly, set up an official route to enter the UK to apply for asylum, and allow them to work whilst their claims are processed, not bottled up in “cages” to act as bait for all the self-styled “patriots”. ifonlyitwastrueID cards make life easierI would like to have an ID card in the UK, not to stop illegal migration but because it would make my life so much easier. Living in Belgium it is compulsory to carry ID and I can use it for everything – healthcare, banking, taxes, travel. It is invaluable. Dealing with banks and government in the UK is so tedious… I have already had to pay twice to prove my ID when buying a house. I have to remember multiple sets of passwords to phone the bank, and on and on. I don’t get why people are so happy to give every aspect of their lives to Google and the like, but not have an ID. ThoughtIsFreeGet involved in the debate a leave a comment below.A right, not an obligationI have had a Portuguese National ID Card since I was a child and really don’t see how I could have done most things without it. It contains my Citizen ID number, my Social Security number, and also my Fiscal number in case I work self-employed or start a company. It’s like everything about you on a single card. It allows me to travel all the EU and EEA without the need for a passport or limitations, even entering or leaving the UK under the EU Withdrawal Agreement. It is a right to have a National ID Card, not an obligation. Basically, I was never forced to have it, nor to renew it, but everything would have been harder without it. CacoNo downsideI honestly do not know what the big deal is about carrying an ID card. I live in Europe and have had one since Brexit was implemented. The only times I’m asked to show it are for legal purposes (registering residence, now also at passport control as I’m not under the EU 90/180 rule), something major at the bank (account change etc.), or things like large purchases or signing a credit agreement. I can’t think of other circumstances when I’ve been asked to present it. The whole scaremongering around the police state ‘tracking you’ with it is frankly a load of blox. Way more convenient than a passport, accepted everywhere in the EU as ID. I don’t see a downside. nicksbNone of their businessUnder no circumstances would I carry an ID card in peacetime. I will strongly defend my Article 8 rights to privacy (Human Rights Act). This is why I first got a VPN and why I use emails from outside the UK. I’m law-abiding and have no criminal record, so why should I, and every other British citizen, be treated as a suspect all the time? The LINOs, first under Blair and now under Starmer, seem to want to track everybody all the time, and it’s none of their business. LadyCrumpsallIssue of trustIf they are simply used to reduce crime and prevent fraud, I have no problem with them. But they could easily be used to monitor movements or track behaviour. And data could be sold to commercial interests. Frankly, there’s now an issue of trust between citizens and government, and many will be unhappy with identity cards for the reasons listed. MusilRemoving hassleStandard ID cards would make it much easier. At the moment everyone asks for something different – usually two forms of ID, each with different lists and requirements. It’s such a hassle. AjamesDigital ID is a tool for controlDigital ID is a solution in search of a problem. Countries that have it are countries like China, Vietnam and North Korea. The reason it has to be digital rather than physical is because everything will be linked – your bank account, your medical records, your ability to travel, what you can and cannot buy. In China it is tied to your “social credit score”. They want to introduce it so they can control you. Your freedom to make choices is the “problem” they want to solve.GaryGlassID cards would help the elderlyMy elderly mother, frail and bed-bound, has neither a driving licence nor a passport. She has no legal ‘photo ID’ should she need to consult a legal professional that requires identification. An ID card would be ideal.MsRuthlessNI numbers are issued at birth. What seems to be suggested is some form of ‘document’ that everyone has to carry so that the Gestapo can make their famous “papers” demand of anyone they fancy. The reality is that we live in a far more dystopian country than imagined by Orwell in his 1984. He hadn’t imagined two-way TVs so small that all citizens could be compelled to carry one with them. The weakness with Big Brother’s technology was that it could only monitor a few people at a time. Today’s AI means that everyone’s activities can be monitored continuously. The modern dictator has no need of ID cards. LordNelson3Who’s to say that the state will not go adrift?Liberty lies in the inefficiency of the state and its bureaucrats. Of course, if the state is largely benevolent then ID cards are not a serious problem, but if the state goes adrift then ID cards pose a severe threat to civil rights simply because the instruments of the state will be more efficient. Who’s to say that the state will not go adrift? We can see an example abroad right now. Do you trust Farage? tohuA retrograde stepI’m vehemently against the idea of introducing digital ID cards for anyone in the UK. In my view, it would be a retrograde step and a huge infringement of our civil rights. Do we really wish to have a “Big Brother” state in this country? In addition, I doubt very much that widespread fraud and illegal migration would be successfully curbed by such draconian measures. In my experience of life, human beings will often find loopholes around any obstacles put in their way. JanetCWhat’s not to like?Many European countries have had them for years without any bother. It saves carrying a lot of information around in various formats. What is not to like about it? And whether it would help with the migration issue is merely coincidental. That should not be the reason to introduce them. 49ninerWe already have enough IDIn my opinion, no. We all have a National Insurance Number (NIC), an NHS Number. Many have a photo card driving licence or another form of photo ID. These are more than enough to prove our identity, in my opinion. DisgustedOfMiddleEnglandID won’t stop fraud or illegal migrationMost fraud involves people being persuaded to transfer money to others, and it’s not really possible to see how any ID system could change that. It’s also really hard to see how such a system could reduce “illegal” migration. The people who give work without checking legal status will no doubt continue to do so. YorkshiremanHandmaid’s Tale trickThe Government wants digital ID cards – ones they can update at will, without even telling you. And of course it would be an everything card: no need for a separate driving licence, or senior citizen’s bus pass. That is all fine until the Government does a Handmaid’s Tale trick and decides to revoke the rights of some group it doesn’t like. It could do that at the touch of a keyboard in Whitehall. It could change your sex, or remove your NHS number, or make you ineligible to vote, or revoke your driving licence. No thank you. RachaelPKeep it physical, not digitalI’m happy to have an ID card as long as it’s a physical card (like my driving licence) because my phone is so old I just couldn’t have an electronic version on it. Some might say update my phone, but as it’s not broken and I can use it to call, I see no need to replace it. Rafpi1964A written constitution would offer protectionThe UK should draw up a written constitution that can only be changed after a general election on the issue, provided there then is a bicameral double two-thirds majority to change it. Enshrine the obligations and rights of the state and of the people in the constitution. That way the rights of the people will be protected and the roll-out of an ID card cannot threaten those rights. Real EuropeanSome of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.The debate isn’t over. Simply register your details and leave a comment below with your views.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here. More

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    Starmer cabinet reshuffle: Who is in and who is out as PM overhauls his top team

    Sir Keir Starmer has launched a major cabinet reshuffle after Angela Rayner’s resignation as housing secretary and deputy prime minister. The prime minister is seeking to relaunch his government as it lags behind Reform UK in the polls and struggles to deliver on key promises.Ms Rayner resigned after Sir Keir’s ethics advisor concluded she had breached the ministerial code by failing to pay the correct amount of stamp duty on the purchase of an £800,000 flat in Hove. Sir Keir Starmer is reshuffling his top team after the departure of Angela Rayner More

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    Rayner’s resignation shows this government is worse than the last, Farage declares in Reform conference speech

    Angela Rayner’s resignation shows this government is “as bad – if not worse – than the one that went before”, Nigel Farage has told the Reform UK party conference in his main address. Ms Rayner sensationally quit as deputy prime minister and housing secretary just one hour before Mr Farage took to the stage after an investigation into her tax affairs over her purchase of an £800,000 flat in Hove, East Sussex.Capitalising on the chaos within government, the Reform UK leader told the Birmingham crowd the scandal “screams entitlement”.Nigel Farage brought forward his keynote speech at Reform UK’s party conference after Rayner’s resignation More

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    Andrea Jenkyns belts out own song in bizarre Reform conference entrance

    Dame Andrea Jenkyns walked onstage at the Reform UK conference, belting out a song entitled “Insomniac” that she said she wrote.The mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, walked onstage at the party’s two-day conference at Birmingham’s NEC on Friday (5 September) in a sparkly jumpsuit before breaking into song.She said: “Are this awful Labour government giving you sleepless nights as well?,” adding that she co-wrote the song 20 years ago with a friend.Dame Andrea’s website says she is a soprano who has been singing since her childhood. More