Former British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has been cleared of deliberate wrongdoing over a tax payment error on a seaside apartment purchase. The tax authorities concluded she did not intentionally avoid paying the correct amount, ending an eight-month investigation. Rayner, who resigned from Prime Minister Keir Starmer's cabinet last year, stated the finding brings closure to a damaging episode.

She paid £40,000 to settle the tax discrepancy and faced no penalty. The case had fueled public accusations of tax dodging, which she said caused personal hurt. Her clearance arrives as Starmer's leadership faces intense pressure following Labour's significant losses in last week's local elections, triggering a wave of political instability within the party.

Hours after Rayner's announcement, Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned, citing lost faith in Starmer. While Streeting had been tipped as a potential leadership challenger, he did not immediately trigger a contest, suggesting insufficient support. Rayner, also viewed as a possible successor, ruled out challenging Starmer but demanded swift change, criticizing the party's slow progress for working people and the blocked return of Andy Burnham.