{"id":18854,"date":"2025-09-03T11:32:23","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T11:32:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/?p=18854"},"modified":"2025-09-03T11:32:23","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T11:32:23","slug":"pmqs-starmer-says-he-is-proud-of-rayner-as-he-defends-deputy-pm-amid-seaside-flat-controversy-uk-politics-live-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/?p=18854","title":{"rendered":"PMQs: Starmer says he is \u2018proud\u2019 of Rayner as he defends deputy PM amid seaside flat controversy \u2013 UK politics live | Politics"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Starmer defends Rayner, saying he is &#8216;proud&#8217; to sit beside working class woman who became deputy PM<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Kemi Badenoch<\/strong> asks why Angela Rayner is still in office. There is a crisis for the cabinet. But also for the country. When was government borrowing last this high?<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says Rayner has explained her circumstances in detail. And she asked the court to lift a confidentiality order relating to her son. That was difficult, but she did it to make sure all the information is in the public domain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But Starmer says he is \u201cproud\u201d to sit beside Rayner, who is building 1.5m homes and has come from a working class background to be deputy PM.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">UPDATE: <strong>Badenoch<\/strong> said:<\/p>\n<p>I also welcome the fact that the Deputy Prime Minister has referred herself to the ethics adviser. She has admitted that she underpaid tax. So why is she still in office?<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">And <strong>Starmer<\/strong> said:<\/p>\n<p>[Rayner] has explained her personal circumstances in detail. She\u2019s gone over and above in setting out the details, including yesterday afternoon asking a court to lift the confidentiality order in relation to her own son.<\/p>\n<p>I know from speaking at length with the Deputy Prime Minister, just how difficult that decision was for her and her family, but she did it to ensure that all the information is in the public domain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I can be clear, I am very proud to sit alongside a Deputy Prime Minister who is building 1.5 million homes, who is bringing the biggest upgrade to workers\u2019 rights for a generation, and has come from a working class background to be Deputy Prime Minister.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a007.19 EDT<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"svgminus\" class=\"dcr-yhdhkr\"><\/span><span id=\"svgplus\" class=\"dcr-yhdhkr\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><span id=\"key-events-carousel-mobile\"\/><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><\/p>\n<p>Key events<\/p>\n<p><\/span><span id=\"filter-toggle-mobile\"\/>Show key events only<\/p>\n<p><span>Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Jess Asato<\/strong> (Lab) asks about the government\u2019s childcare announcement on Monday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says he was very proud to unveil this. This measure will ensure every child gets a fair start at school, he says.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> accuses Reform UK of backing the politics of grievance. They want to exploit people\u2019s anger about small boats, he says.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Stephen Gethins<\/strong> (SNP) urges Starmer to rejoin the Dublin agreement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says he agrees with Gethin that it was a mistake for the UK to leave the Dublin agreement as a result of Brexit. He says he has negotiated a returns agreement with France.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Starmer says it&#8217;s &#8216;disgrace&#8217; that Farage has gone to US to lobby for sanctions on UK that would harm working people<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Lola McEvoy<\/strong> (Lab) asks about the Online Safety Act, and invites the PM to join her in asking Nigel Farage to pick a side \u2013 is he supporting the UK or the US?<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says Farage is not here. He goes on:<\/p>\n<p>[Farage has] flown to America to bad mouth and talk down our country.<\/p>\n<p>Worse than that, if you can believe it, he\u2019s gone there to lobby the Americans to impose sanctions on this country to harm working people. [See 9.15am.]<\/p>\n<p>You cannot get more unpatriotic than that. [Its a] disgrace.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says that, when he was asked what he would to do replace the Online Safety Act, <strong>Farage<\/strong> replied: \u201cThere needs to be a tech answer. I don\u2019t know what that is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> goes on: \u201cYou can\u2019t run a country on don\u2019t know answers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Pete Wishart<\/strong> (SNP) complains about the Scottish government not getting advance notice of the budget date.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says the SNP should have welcomed the Norway deal, which will protect jobs in Scotland.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Robin Swann<\/strong> (UUP) asks about the extension of inheritance tax for farmers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> mentions other measures the government is taking to help farmers, but does not address the inheritance tax point.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says the ship deal with Norway is a sign of the UK being taken seriously on the world stage.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Starmer rules out withdrawing from ECHR<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Davey<\/strong> asks Starmer to rule out withdrawing from, or suspending, the European convention on human rights.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says the UK will not withdraw from it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But he defends looking at how it is interpreted.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a007.17 EDT<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Starmer says there is &#8216;man-made famine&#8217; in Gaza, and it&#8217;s &#8216;horrifying&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Ed Davey<\/strong>, the Lib Dem leader, asks about Gaza. We have all seen the horrifying images, he says. The PM wants to stop this. He says Donald Trump is \u201cthe one man in the world\u201d who can stop this. Will the PM urge him to do that when Trump visits the UK for the state visit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> agrees the situation in Gaza is \u201chorrifying\u201d. It is a \u201cman-made famine\u201d, he says. He will talk to all leaders about that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He says, if Davey had not refused the state banquet invitation, he could have spoken to Trump about this himself. It is not an act of leadership not to attend, he says.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Badenoch<\/strong> says the crisis was made in Downing Street. She says Starmer is \u201ctoo weak to change course and too arrogant to admit he got things wrong\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says Labour is putting out the fires left by the Tories.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Badenoch<\/strong> says Labour is making a mess of the economy. Taxes are going up for everyone, she says. The country has to wait until 26 November for a budget. That is too long, she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says the government is going through due process for a budget. Under the Tories, they tried doing one without that (ie, without an OBR report). That blew up, she says.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Badenoch<\/strong> says borrowing costs are going up because the markets can see he is \u201ctoo weak to control spending\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says Badenoch said at the weekend she inherited a huge mess. \u201cI know exactly how she feels,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Badenoch<\/strong> says she stands by everthing she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> accuses her of talking down the country.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Badenoch<\/strong> says Starmer would not have taken this attitude if it had been a Tory deputy PM. He used to say tax evasion was a crime.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">She repeats her question about borrowing costs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says Badenoch\u2019s claims about the economy are as plausible as her claims about her place at Stanford university.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Starmer defends Rayner, saying he is &#8216;proud&#8217; to sit beside working class woman who became deputy PM<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Kemi Badenoch<\/strong> asks why Angela Rayner is still in office. There is a crisis for the cabinet. But also for the country. When was government borrowing last this high?<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says Rayner has explained her circumstances in detail. And she asked the court to lift a confidentiality order relating to her son. That was difficult, but she did it to make sure all the information is in the public domain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But Starmer says he is \u201cproud\u201d to sit beside Rayner, who is building 1.5m homes and has come from a working class background to be deputy PM.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">UPDATE: <strong>Badenoch<\/strong> said:<\/p>\n<p>I also welcome the fact that the Deputy Prime Minister has referred herself to the ethics adviser. She has admitted that she underpaid tax. So why is she still in office?<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">And <strong>Starmer<\/strong> said:<\/p>\n<p>[Rayner] has explained her personal circumstances in detail. She\u2019s gone over and above in setting out the details, including yesterday afternoon asking a court to lift the confidentiality order in relation to her own son.<\/p>\n<p>I know from speaking at length with the Deputy Prime Minister, just how difficult that decision was for her and her family, but she did it to ensure that all the information is in the public domain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I can be clear, I am very proud to sit alongside a Deputy Prime Minister who is building 1.5 million homes, who is bringing the biggest upgrade to workers\u2019 rights for a generation, and has come from a working class background to be Deputy Prime Minister.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a007.19 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Dawn Butler<\/strong> (Lab) asks about taxing the gambing industry. Will the PM back the campaign for these taxes?<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Starmer says councils should get extra powers to protect high streets. Councils will get stronger powers that will allow them to restrict gambling outlets, he says.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">PMQs is starting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Keir Starmer<\/strong> says on Sunday the UK won a contract from Norway for the biggest ship order it has ever placed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">And he says the extra free childcare hours have been rolled out.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Rayner says she discussed question of resigning with family after stamp duty error<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In her Sky News interview, asked if she had considered resigning over the stamp duty error, <strong>Angela Rayner<\/strong> said she had discussed this with her family.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Asked if she thought about \u201cpacking it in\u201d, Rayner replied:<\/p>\n<p>I spoke to my family about it. I spoke to my ex-husband, who has been an incredibly supportive person because he knows that all I\u2019ve done is try and support my family and help them.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Rayner sidesteps questions about whether she can stay on as minister, saying she is &#8216;in shock&#8217; about stamp duty error<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Angela Rayner<\/strong>, the deputy PM, has given an interview to Sky News following her admission, in a statement to the Guardian, that she underpaid stamp duty on the \u00a3800,000 flat she bought in Hove. Here are the main points.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>She admitted that she underpaid stamp duty, but she denied setting up a trust (for the ownership of her stake in her original family home) to avoid tax.<\/strong> Asked whether the accusations that she had underpaid stamp duty were correct, she said:<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>They are accurate. Yes. Accurate in a different sense. I think the accusations were that I set up a trust and I flipped it to try and avoid paying it.<\/p>\n<p>But actually the complex area of the trust which the advice that I relied upon didn\u2019t pick that up. The leading tax counsel who has subsequently looked at it has gone into that and said that actually, because of that, it did remain my sole property and the trust wasn\u2019t set up as accusations have been made for me to try and flip.<\/p>\n<p>People make mistakes, but I conducted myself in trying to do the right thing, and I hope that people can see that.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been in shock, really, because I thought I\u2019d done everything properly, and I relied on the advice that I received and I\u2019m devastated because I\u2019ve always upheld the rules and always have done.<\/p>\n<p>And always felt proud to do that. I feel, you know, that it is devastating for me and the fact that the reason why those confidential clauses were in place was to protect my son, who, through no fault of his own, he\u2019s vulnerable, he\u2019s got this life-changing, lifelong conditions and I don\u2019t want him or anything to do with his day-to-day life, to be subjected to that level of scrutiny because it\u2019s his and my ex-husband that is\u2026 it\u2019s not fair on them.<\/p>\n<p>Often my family dragged in because of what my role is and what I do.<\/p>\n<p>But I try to uphold the high standards, and that\u2019s why I\u2019ve referred myself so that the independent advice can look at everything.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>She sidestepped questions about whether she would be able to carry on as a minister.<\/strong> Asked by <strong>Beth Rigby<\/strong> if she could stay in her job, \u201cparticularly as housing minister\u201d, <strong>Rayner<\/strong> replied:<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Well, I made a mistake based upon the advice that I relied upon that I received at the time, and a leading expert has now said that advice was wrong. I think hopefully most people can see, if you take, if you rely on advice given to you by lawyers and you follow that process and then you find out that that process is wrong and that advice is wrong, I\u2019m rectifying it at the earliest opportunity. People make mistakes, but I conducted myself in trying to do the right thing, and I hope that people can see that.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Starmer defends Rayner, saying he is &#8216;proud&#8217; to sit beside working class woman who became deputy PM Kemi Badenoch asks why Angela Rayner is still in office. There is a crisis for the cabinet. But also for the country. When was government borrowing last this high? Starmer says Rayner has explained her circumstances in detail.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18855,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[2572,2086,9447,2773,132,11527,124,9529,3621,7239,1347],"class_list":{"0":"post-18854","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politics","8":"tag-controversy","9":"tag-defends","10":"tag-deputy","11":"tag-flat","12":"tag-live","13":"tag-pmqs","14":"tag-politics","15":"tag-proud","16":"tag-rayner","17":"tag-seaside","18":"tag-starmer"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18854\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}