The Guardian view on Angela Rayner’s exit: a loss that exposes Labour’s deeper faultlines | Editorial

The deputy prime minister’s resignation closes one chapter with dignity. But the contest to replace her threatens to reopen Labour’s old divisions The exchange of letters between Angela Rayner and Sir Keir Starmer closes one chapter and opens another. Ms Rayner accepted the verdict of the ministerial watchdog that she breached cabinet rules by failing to pay the higher rate of stamp duty on her Hove flat. Sir Keir replied with sadness that he was losing not just his deputy and housing secretary, but an emblem of social mobility. There is no rancour, only mutual recognition: Ms Rayner accepts she must go; Sir Keir concedes she remains a potent force. Her achievements went beyond policy; she spoke to voters in ways that few colleagues could. Her story had a talismanic quality – from teenage mum on a Stockport estate to trade unionist to deputy prime minister. She embodied the promise of Labour’s politics in a manner no one else could match. Yet error need not be terminal. If a minister takes the hit early and with contrition, they may be able to rebuild their career once public anger cools.Ms Rayner’s departure is also notable for the balance of Labour and the government. Sir Keir’s reshuffle looks less like renewal than a coup by Labour’s “modernising” clique. Ian Murray’s sacking severs a bridge to Anas Sarwar’s Scottish Labour, which had been tacking leftwards, just as the Holyrood election looms, while Lucy Powell’s removal sidelines one of the few cabinet allies of Ed Miliband, the soft left’s champion. Yvette Cooper’s shift to the Foreign Office is an admission of failure over small boat crossings and leaves scant room for dissent on Gaza given her record on protest. Rebranding welfare as a growth department under Pat McFadden signals a downgrade for Liz Kendall after her Commons defeat over benefits cuts.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

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