Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has come under scrutiny after conflicting accounts emerged regarding the duration of her employment as a carer. Reports indicate that her recollection of how long she worked as a home help for Stockport Council has varied significantly across different statements, ranging from seven to 17 years. This inconsistency has prompted calls for clarity and transparency from the Conservative Party.
Sources close to Rayner have clarified that she worked in the private sector as a carer from 1998 to 2000 before joining Stockport Council, where she remained employed until 2015. However, discrepancies in her public statements have raised questions:
1. Who’s Who Entry: Her entry states she worked in “home help” between 1998 and 2005, a period of seven years.
2. 2014 Candidacy Page: She claimed to have worked as a carer for “almost a decade.”
3. 2020 Facebook Post: She stated she had spent 14 years as a home care worker for Stockport Council, implying she left in 2015.
4. 2023 Statement: During a controversy over the sale of her council house, she said she was a home carer at the time of the sale in 2015.
Kevin Hollinrake, the shadow secretary of state for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, criticized the inconsistencies, stating that they “raise serious questions” and undermine public trust. He called on Rayner to provide a clear explanation and urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to address the issue.
This controversy follows similar scrutiny faced by other Labour Cabinet members, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds. Reeves was accused of exaggerating her work history, including claims about her time at the Bank of England and publications in an economics journal. Reynolds was rebuked by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for falsely claiming to be a solicitor on his LinkedIn profile.
Rayner’s supporters argue that the discrepancies are minor and do not detract from her overall career and contributions. However, the situation has added to growing concerns about transparency and credibility within the Labour Cabinet, with critics calling for greater accountability from government officials.
