LIZZY BUCHAN: Angela Rayner's departure leaves a headache for Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer returned from the summer break promising a new phase of Government after a tricky first year.

But instead he was straight back in the trenches, dealing with a scandal that resulted in the loss of his deputy, Angela Rayner.

It's devastating for her, an abrupt end to her extraordinary rise from teenage mum on a Stockport council estate to Deputy Prime Minister.

And it's a serious blow for Starmer. Rayner's error - no matter how unintentional - will have caused damage to the Government, stoking anger among fed-up voters about politicians breaking the rules.

The PM went out to bat for her but in the end couldn't risk his own integrity by ignoring his ethics adviser like Boris Johnson did to save Priti Patel after a bullying row.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer reshuffles Cabinet after Angela Rayner quits over tax error - changes in full

But her absence will be felt. Rayner is someone who could reach places that the PM can't, which is part of why their opposites-attract partnership made sense.

She is popular with MPs and unions, and as a plain-speaking Northern woman, she could speak directly to voters courted by Reform.

The PM turned to her in moments of crisis, sending her to negotiate with rebels who threatened to defeat the Government's welfare plans.

She was able to rally the left of the party, and keep them on side.

The deputy leadership race will be a headache for Starmer, paving the way for a battle for the soul of the party he could do without.

Tensions over everything from welfare cuts to Gaza will be litigated in a contest as different factions duke it out, which risks distracting from the PM's attempts to fire up his Government.

What Rayner does next is unclear. She could bide her time on the back benches and build up a power base to launch a leadership bid when the time comes.

She is not known for pulling her punches, so she may decide to be more forthright now she's no longer a minister.

The PM sought to quickly draw a line under her departure by bringing forward a Cabinet reshuffle, which had been planned for later in the autumn.

The changes were far more sweeping than expected. A No10 source said it would mean a refreshed and reinvigorated team, focused on delivery on making people feel better off, border security, and public services.

Creating a beefed up ministry for Pat McFadden as Work and Pensions Secretary suggests curbing the welfare bill and fixing productivity are high on the agenda.

New Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who is highly rated by No10, will have perhaps the toughest job of all trying to fix the small boats crisis.

David Lammy will replace Rayner as Deputy PM, perhaps to neutralise the threat of a challenging deputy leader.

A source said it gives the Government a new "sense of purpose". With Reform breathing down their necks, and a frustrated and angry electorate, they will need it.

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