As Angela Rayner says she has been ‘cleared by HMRC over tax affairs’ a look at her partner, kids and height

Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, who is seen as a potential challenger to Sir Keir Starmer, says she has been ‘cleared by HMRC over tax affairs.’ In a statement, she said: “I welcome HMRC’s conclusion, which has cleared me of any wrongdoing.

“I have been exonerated by HMRC of the accusation that I deliberately sought to avoid tax.

“When purchasing a home of my own with a mortgage, I did not own any other property and had no personal financial interest in the court-instructed trust set up to manage my son’s financial award. I was advised by experts that I should pay stamp duty at the standard rate.

“I set out to pay the correct amount of tax. I took reasonable care and acted in good faith, based on the expert advice I received, and HMRC has accepted this.

“I have always sought to act with integrity, and I believe politicians should be held to high standards – that is why I resigned from Government and co-operated fully with HMRC.

“I wanted to ensure that I paid every penny that I owed, and have done so. I am relieved that my family can now move on – and that I can get on with my job.”

Following Labour’s local and devolved election results, Angela Rayner shared a statement which read: “Our party has suffered a historic defeat. Many good Labour colleagues have lost their seats despite working hard for those they represented. We have lost good Labour administrations and lost the chance for more.

“What we are doing isn't working, and it needs to change. This may be our last chance.

“The Labour Party must now live up to our name: we must be the party of working people.”

“We've heard the same on the doorstep as we've seen in the polls - the cost of living is the top issue for voters of all parties. People have turned to populists and nationalists because we have not done enough to fix it.”

“Living standards are barely higher than they were a decade and a half ago. People feel hopeless - that the cost of living crisis will never end, and now they see oil and gas companies use global instability to post record profits.

“Once again, ordinary people are paying the price for decisions they didn't make. It's no wonder that across the UK, working people feel the system is rigged against them.

“Things can be so much better than this. Countries including Spain and Canada have shown that economies can grow and people can thrive when governments stay true to labour and social democratic values and put people first. We need to learn from that.

“In London, we lost young people who fear they will never afford a home. In my patch and across the north, we lost working people whose wages are too low and costs too high. In Scotland and Wales, people do not currently see Labour as the answer.

“We are in danger of becoming a party of the well-off, not working people.

“The Peter Mandelson scandal showed a toxic culture of cronyism.

“Decisions like cutting winter fuel allowance just weren't what people expected from a Labour government.”

Angela Rayner also said: “This is bigger than personalities, but it is time to acknowledge that blocking Andy Burnham was a mistake. We must show we understand the scale of change the moment calls for - that means bringing our best players into Parliament - and embracing the type of agenda that has been successful at a local level, rather than reaching back to an agenda and politics that has failed people.

“These are the fights we need to have, and the change in direction we need to see. Policy tweaks will not fix the fundamental challenges facing our country. This government needs, at pace, to put measures in place that make people's lives tangibly better, while fixing the foundations of a system rigged against them.

“The prime minister must now meet the moment and set out the change our country needs.

“Change our economic agenda to prioritise making people better off, change how we run our party so that all voices are listened to, and change how we do politics.

“Labour exists to make working people better off. That is not happening fast enough, and it needs to change - now.”

On Wednesday May 13 speculation grew that Wes Streeting was on the verge of quitting his role as Health Secretary. On Thursday May 14, Chief Secretary to the Treasury James Murray spoke on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme and said: “He is the Health Secretary, and I hope he is the Health Secretary by the end of the day.”

James Murray also added that “I would say to all colleagues, take a deep breath. Take a step back.

“Make sure that we recognise we’re less than two years into this Parliament. Look at what we’ve done so far. Look at the benefits of the stability that we brought to Government, make sure that we don’t go into a chaotic process of uncertainty, and make sure we focus on what people want us to be doing.”

Does Angela Rayner have a partner?

Angela Rayner’s partner is Sam Tarry, a former Labour MP. In September 2025 The Telegraph reported that “Sir Lucian Grainge, the boss of Universal Music, called in Sam Tarry to guide the company’s interactions with Westminster before Angela Rayner’s resignation as deputy prime minister, it is understood.”

Was Angela Rayner previously married?

Yes, Angela Rayner was previously married to Mark Rayner, the father of her two sons Jimmy and Charlie. After marrying in 2010, they reportedly split in 2020. Angela Rayner also has a son Ryan from her relationship with Neil Batty.

Angela Rayner became pregnant at 16 with Ryan who now has his own child, which made Angela Rayner a grandmother at 37. Her son Charlie Rayner was born at 23 weeks weighing 465g. She told The Guardian that “Four times they wanted to switch off the machine.” Charlie is registered blind and is epileptic.

Angela Rayner is 5 foot 5 inches tall, her constituency is Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester. Angela Rayner’s biography on the Labour Party’s website reads: “She was brought up on a council estate and left her local comprehensive at 16 with no qualifications and a baby already on the way, after being told she would ‘never amount to anything.”