Lucy Powell became the first minister to be sacked, with a key figure on Labour’s soft-left faction losing her post as the leader of the House of Commons.
Powell said in a statement confirming her exit that it had “been an honour to serve,” but she acknowledged it had not “been an easy time for the government.”
Starmer’s Labour swept to power on a landslide just last year, but is now consistently below the insurgent right-win Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, in the polls.
Rayner, who also served as Britain’s housing secretary, was subject of an investigation by the government’s independent ethics adviser after admitting she failed to pay the correct amount of tax — known as stamp duty — on the purchase of a second property.
The rejig of Starmer’s top team comes just days after a backroom overhaul of advisers that was meant to mark a relaunch of the struggling administration.
Rayner, who has served as housing secretary and deputy PM since Labour entered government last year, was seen as one of the Cabinet’s better communicators and served as an important bridge between Starmer, his parliamentary party, and Labour’s trade union backers.
