Keir Starmer refuses to say he would sack deputy Angela Rayner if she broke rules

Keir Starmer repeatedly refused to say he would sack deputy Angela Rayner even if a probe into her tax affairs finds she broke ministerial rules. The Prime Minister was repeatedly asked about Ms Rayner's future this afternoon, with her political career set to be decided within the next 24 hours. Senior Labour ministers desperately try to help her stay in her job despite the investigation into her purchase of a second home in the summer, after she admitted underpaying stamp duty by £40,000. Ministerial ethics watchdog Sir Laurie Magnus could reveal as soon as Friday whether she was at fault. Asked by the BBC today if he would sack Ms Rayner if Sir Laurie finds against her, the PM repeatedly said he wanted to let the process take its course, adding: 'Obviously, I will look very carefully, as you'd expect, at whatever report he puts in front of me.'