by Xinhua writers Zhao Jiasong, Zheng Bofei, Larry Neild

LONDON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The British government carried out a major cabinet reshuffle on Friday after Angela Rayner resigned as deputy prime minister following a property tax scandal, a move that has fueled questions over the Labour Party's integrity and deepened concerns about a potential crisis of public trust.

Earlier in the day, Downing Street published Rayner's resignation letter, in which she also announced her departure as the housing secretary and the deputy leader of the Labour Party.

In response, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was "very sad" to lose Rayner from the government. "Even though you won't be part of the government, you will remain a major figure in our party," he said in the letter of reply.

SCANDAL TRIGGERS RESHUFFLE

Just days after ministers returned from summer recess, few foresaw that early personnel moves, such as Darren Jones' shift from chief secretary to the Treasury to chief secretary to the Prime Minister on Sept. 1, would presage a broader shake-up.

On Sept. 3, Rayner acknowledged she had underpaid stamp duty, referred herself to Laurie Magnus, the prime minister's independent adviser on ministers' interests, and said she was working with revenue authorities to settle the amount. Two days later, Magnus concluded she failed to seek additional specialist tax advice and breached the ministerial code.

"I accept that I did not meet the highest standards in relation to my recent property purchase," Rayner said in her resignation letter.

The incident stems from earlier reports that Rayner may have reduced her liability by removing her name from the deed of a Manchester property, underpaying roughly 40,000 pounds (about 54,000 U.S. dollars) in stamp duty on her second home in Hove, East Sussex.

The row echoes earlier controversies. In 2009, questions over ministers' tax and expenses practices, including the cases of Kitty Ussher and Hazel Blears, contributed to the MPs' expenses scandal, one of the gravest crises of trust in recent British politics, and hastened the decline of Gordon Brown's government.

Experts argued that the episode goes to the heart of Labour's promise to restore integrity to public life. "Angela Rayner's resignation from government is to be welcomed," said John Bryson, a professor at the University of Birmingham.

In the subsequent reshuffle, David Lammy, the former foreign secretary, has been appointed deputy prime minister, in addition to being made lord chancellor and secretary of state for justice. Yvette Cooper will succeed Lammy as foreign secretary.

PRESSURES AND TRUST CHALLENGES

Observers noted that Labour won the July 2024 election on a manifesto that promised a "wider cleanup of British politics" after years in which "trust in politics has been shattered."

"Too many people living in the UK question Sir Keir Starmer's commitment to cleaning up British politics. There have been too many examples of what can only be termed irresponsible practice. These include the Labour Party's freebies controversy and the current controversy regarding Angela Rayner," Bryson said.

Ian Scott, a professor at the University of Manchester, called Rayner's case "a serious test for Starmer," saying that for Rayner, the optics were particularly sensitive because of her "long-cultivated working-class persona."

Scott said Hove, where Rayner's second home is located, is a "trendy progressive seaside retreat well away from the proletarian classes that leaves a bad taste in the mouth for Labour's supporters."

The resignation comes amid existing pressures inside Labour. Earlier welfare reform debates exposed internal fissures that had placed Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves under fire. Until recently, Rayner was a beneficiary of grassroots momentum, as a YouGov survey put her level with Reform British leader Nigel Farage on who should be the next prime minister, with each drawing 28 percent support.

Experts said the departure now leaves a political question that Starmer cannot decide alone.

"The biggest problem for Starmer now will be something over which he has no control," said Jon Tonge, a professor at the University of Liverpool. "Will he be able to work effectively with the new deputy leader, or will it be chaos at the top of the governing party?"

After the reshuffle, opposition leader Kemi Badenoch from the Conservative Party accused Starmer of knowing his deputy had breached rules but being "too weak" to dismiss her sooner, likening the cabinet moves to "shuffling deckchairs around on his sinking government."

Some believe that the government's swift response may help contain the fallout. "Angela Rayner's resignation and the circumstances that gave rise to it are bound to be damaging to the Labour government, because they invite the responses 'hypocrisy' and 'one rule for them another for us'," said Iain Begg, a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

"However, the speed with which the matter has been resolved works in the government's favour, and may limit the damage to Starmer. It is a case about one individual, so it does not obviously mean further instability in British politics. The media storm will probably blow over by next week," said Begg. ■