Angela Rayner Faces Criticism Over Photographer

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is facing backlash after hiring Simon Walker as a Chief Photographer for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government at a salary of £68,000, a move she previously condemned when Boris Johnson employed photographers. Rayner has been under scrutiny for accepting expensive gifts from Labour donors, which has led to calls for a sleaze inquiry following her failure to declare that former Labour MP Sam Tarry joined her on a luxury holiday funded by donor Lord Alli. While Chancellor Rachel Reeves defended the hiring as a standard practice across government departments, critics label it a 'vanity project' amidst growing public discontent over political expenses. Rayner acknowledged public anger over political figures accepting gifts but maintained that such donations have long been part of politics. The Conservative Party has urged the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner to investigate potential breaches of Commons rules.