Rayner Faces Complaint Over Civil Servants' Aid

Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, has been accused of breaching the ministerial code after reportedly asking civil servants to assist with her move into the Admiralty House flat, a property previously inhabited by Winston Churchill. Tory MP Paul Holmes filed a formal complaint claiming that if the allegations are true, it constitutes a clear violation of the code, which mandates that ministers must avoid conflicts between public duties and private interests. The complaint suggests that Rayner should be billed for the civil service time involved in the move, calculated at private sector rates. Holmes emphasized that the ministerial code requires public officials to refrain from placing themselves under any obligation that could influence their work. This incident follows a trend where multiple cabinet ministers, including Foreign Secretary David Lammy, have faced scrutiny for similar breaches. The complaint has been submitted to the director of propriety and ethics at the Cabinet Office and the permanent secretary of Rayner's department.