A big operation is underway by Angela Rayner to get the attention of Team Burnham. Seeing as he’s going to be PM in less than three weeks there is a big rush for jobs going on…
A briefing appeared in the Telegraph suggesting that because Burnham was a fan of devolution – proposals for which Rayner has worked on for some time – the ex-DPM has a top advising role and is expected to get a job in his government. Included was the suggestion she might be made Chief Secretary to the Treasury to oversee Team Burnham’s war with that department…
Rayner wasn’t at Burnham’s speech. She gave one of her own last night at the left-wing think tank the New Economics Foundation where she was full of praise for Burnham’s policies, which are currently 1) devolve more powers and 2) build council houses. A big fall for someone who was going to run for the leadership just weeks ago…
The Labour government’s summer internship scheme is blocking the children of full-time trade union officials. A rare policy win from Labour…
Government now restricts the scheme to working class individuals. This is defined by their parent’s profession when the applicant was aged 14, using ONS and Social Mobility Commission classifications…
Parliamentary questions pursued by Tory parliamentarians have clarified what technical class a “trade union official who works for a local authority under 100% facility time” is: “Under the simplified National Statistics Socio-economic classification (NS-SEC) framework, this occupation is classified as analytic class 3: Intermediate occupations.” Unless they’ve worked out a loophole…
This means, for example, that Rayner’s son, Ryan (now 28) couldn’t take advantage of the scheme. When he was 14 Rayner was a Stockport Council trade union pilgrim. Tory shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood said: “What an embarrassing own goal. Labour’s incompetence knows no bounds: they can’t even wage a class war properly.” Quick Andy – do something….
Angela Rayner has taken a £25,000 donation from the wife of a oil and gas chief executive who has been a strong critic of Labour’s oil and gas policy. No one tell Ed Miliband…
In the latest register of interests Rayner is shown to have received “£25,000 towards running costs for the Office of Angela Rayner Limited” from Soha Riyadh Tawfiq Alsadek on 8th April this year.
Her benefactor, otherwise known as Suha Bseisu, is the wife of Amjad Bseisu. Bseisu, an Emirati, is current Chief Executive and founder of Enquest, an oil exploration and production company founded in 2010. It posted revenue of £1.1 billion in 2025…
Bseisu and his oil and gas company are very strong critics of Labour’s oil and gas policy:
Bseisu and his wife jointly run a scholarship foundation for students in the Middle East to study globally. This year EnQuest said its 2025 tax charge was heavily distorted by the non-cash impact of the two-year oil and gas windfall tax extension, creating a $123.9 million charge. It was recently fined £16.5 million for failing to decommission 33 defunct North Sea wells. Ouch – any responsible CEO would want the policies changed…
Rayner has been raking it in from speaking engagements but despite telling everyone about it there is still no sign of her promised memoir. Nor for that matter has any podcast materialised. But at least she has some cash to run her bid for a top job…
There are growing demands for Angela Rayner to publish the documentary evidence from HMRC that details how she did not act “carelessly” and had no penalty to pay. Because it doesn’t make sense…
Tax experts led by Labour’s Dan Neidle yesterday challenged the supposed ‘exoneration.’ If it really exists…
Neidle subsequently spoke to tax barrister Graham Aaronson KC, who said Rayner could challenge the extra tax bill in court – a proposition she refused. He put forward her side but Neidle concluded: “The position remains: we can’t assess whether HMRC acted correctly. If Ms Rayner wants people to accept that she acted properly, and HMRC’s decision was correct, then she should release the evidence that led HMRC to conclude she was not careless.”
Eyebrows have also been raised after Aaronson sent a two-page legal letter requesting that HMRC close the matter “as soon as possible,” after which she supposedly received a decision within 24 hours. Barking orders to the taxman doesn’t usually work for punters…
Guido hears that when Rayner was previously “exonerated” – about which concerns were also raised – just as the general election was called in 2024, the journalists with whom she did media did not see any proof. It was all based on trust…
The phantom ‘tax advice’ she received earlier in that scandal was never and has never subsequently revealed either. Even Starmer did not see it. Now once again no evidence has been published, and the media gave Rayner gasping interviews for her grand return to the fray on Thursday…
Basically what people must conclude from this HMRC decision, if it indeed is an HMRC decision, is that if you’re confused about how much tax to pay, you shouldn’t seek professional advice. You should just pay the lowest amount and hope that it all works out OK, knowing that if it doesn’t then you won’t have to pay any penalty. Unless Rayner publishes evidence to the contrary…
Labour leadership contender Angela Rayner’s boyfriend has joined a PR whose main clients include cryptocurrency firms. Should be interesting if Rayner enters government again – or leads it…
Ex-Labour MP Sam Tarry has in recent weeks begun work for City of London PR firm NorthPoint Strategy. Its clients include blockchain firm Polygon, the UK Cryptoasset Business Council, and Andreessen Horowitz. Whose often liberal, deregulatory goals run counter to the ideas of most Labour MPs…
Tarry, who penned a diary piece for the New Statesman yesterday, did not mention his new gig in the magazine. The firm on the other hand said:
“We are excited to welcome Sam Tarry as a Senior Advisor at NorthPoint Strategy.
As a former Labour Party MP, Shadow Minister and trade union leader, he has a deep understanding of the inner workings of The Labour Party and the wider political landscape.
An experienced campaigner, Sam has played key roles in Labour leadership campaigns and previously served as President of the Centre for Labour and Social Studies.
We’re thrilled to have Sam on board and look forward to the expertise and perspective he will bring to our clients.”
Labour is taking numerous actions against cryptocurrency and has moved to block crypto donations in a cynical attempt to starve Reform. The PLP is even more rabid than the government…
Tarry is said to brief often for his partner Angela. Rayner’s memorandum to Reeves containing various ‘ideas’ for tax rises, which was leaked to the Telegraph’s Ben Riley-Smith, caused a big row in government. In Tarry’s diary piece he reflects on his podcast, launched in January and still listened to by no one:
“I was chuffed to have got three brilliant guests on the show: Ben Riley-Smith from the Telegraph, the New Statesman’s Tom McTague and the previous, long-standing editor of the Statesman, Jason Cowley (now at the Sunday Times).”
The Guardian has attempted to level its guns at Tarry’s new PR firm before. What will Labour MPs make of Rayner’s man?
Angela Rayner has entered the leadership conflict this morning. With a bang…
Rayner has spoken to ITV to say she has no deal with Andy Burnham and that she would not trigger a leadership contest:
“I’ve made it clear that I wasn’t going to trigger the prime minister – and that I want to see change.”
She has also given an interview to the Guardian in which she says she has been cleared by HMRC and will not pay a fine. She also said Starmer should consider stepping aside and that she wants to “play my part“: “Keir will have to reflect on that.” Rayner will run to stop Streeting…
Andy Haldane, Burnham’s recent adviser on the economy who has not taken up a No10 job, told Andrew Marr on LBC:
“The market now suspects that this is a traditional tax-and-spend socialist government with better TikTok videos…
imposing windfall taxes on oil & gas or on banks or upping capital gains tax would […] repeat the mistake that Rachel made […] The Achilles heel, the fiscal Achilles heel of this government thus far has been its unwillingness and/or inability to cut public spending.”