Angela Rayner, the Member of Parliament for Ashton-under-Lyne, has defended her earnings from speaking engagements and other outside work undertaken while she was not a member of the government. The register of MPs' interests indicates that Rayner accumulated nearly £90,000 from speaking engagements between February and June of the current year. Additionally, she received a £76,500 advance for a forthcoming book and £2,400 for hosting a radio phone-in show.
These earnings occurred during a period when Rayner was outside of the Cabinet, having resigned as Housing Secretary in September of the previous year. This departure followed an admission concerning stamp duty on a property purchase. Rayner returned to government in July of this year, appointed by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Rayner addressed suggestions of hypocrisy, referencing a social media post from May 2023 where she stated, 'Being an MP isn’t a second job. It is the job. Labour will put an end to this racket.' When questioned by Sky News about her recent speaking engagements and whether her focus should have been on her constituents, Rayner stated that she was indeed focusing on her constituents during that time.
She clarified that the speaking engagements, numbering around six over a 12-month period and lasting a couple of hours each, were declared appropriately. "I don't consider that to have been a second job," she said. Rayner emphasized her commitment to serving the people of Ashton-under-Lyne and the country, stating her focus is on driving changes within the government to address housing needs and homelessness.
In 2023, Rayner had been critical of MPs' outside earnings following an operation by the campaign group Led By Donkeys, which revealed undercover footage of former ministers discussing outside work. Current parliamentary rules permit MPs to hold second jobs, and there is no indication of any rule violations in Rayner's case.