Sir Keir Starmer has informed Rachel Reeves that she will not face any further consequences for her unintentional failure to obtain a rental license. The situation was deemed regrettable due to the initial lack of communication regarding the arrangement.
Previously, Ms. Reeves acknowledged her mistake in breaching local housing regulations by not securing a necessary “selective” rental license for her family property. She made public emails exchanged between her husband and the agency, revealing their agreement to apply for the license. She took full responsibility for the oversight.
In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, Ms. Reeves explained that the letting agency and her husband had correspondence confirming the need for a license, which was not pursued due to a staff change. She accepted responsibility for not bringing this information to light earlier.
The Prime Minister, after reviewing the situation, considered it an inadvertent failure to obtain the appropriate license, for which Ms. Reeves apologized and rectified. The Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards agreed that no further action was necessary.
Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s independent standards adviser, maintained that Ms. Reeves unintentionally erred, noting no evidence of bad faith in her statements. He emphasized that the confusion stemmed from evolving information but found no malicious intent.
Following consultation with his ethics adviser, Sir Keir Starmer concluded the matter could be closed without a probe. Downing Street reaffirmed confidence in Ms. Reeves, assuring that she will present the Budget on November 26 as planned.