- Angela Rayner has defended her decision not to return a nearly £17,000 severance payment received after resigning from government in 2025.
- She received the payment following her resignation from roles including housing secretary and deputy Labour Party leader, amidst a dispute over her tax affairs.
- HMRC subsequently cleared her of any wrongdoing regarding her tax affairs.
- Rayner, who previously criticised Conservative ministers for similar payments, has since returned to cabinet as Andy Burnham’s Housing Secretary.
- She justified keeping the payment by stating she had worked in government for a period, was out for 'just under a year,' and is now back in government.
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