Keir Starmer has informed Rachel Reeves that there will be no further repercussions regarding her unintentional oversight in obtaining a rental license. He expressed regret that the emails regarding the matter were not initially shared with him.
Reeves had previously acknowledged her mistake in breaching local housing regulations by failing to secure a “selective” rental license for her family property. She later disclosed emails exchanged between her husband and the agency, confirming that steps were being taken to apply for the license, while also taking full responsibility for the oversight.
In a letter to Keir Starmer, Reeves stated that the letting agency and her husband had corresponded about the need for a selective license, but the application was not processed due to staff changes within the organization. She admitted responsibility for not uncovering this information sooner and apologized for the oversight.
The Prime Minister, after reviewing the situation, deemed it an inadvertent failure to obtain the required license, for which Reeves apologized and is now rectifying. The Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards concurred with the Prime Minister’s decision, indicating that no further action was necessary.
Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s independent standards adviser, confirmed that Reeves’ error was unintentional and found no evidence of bad faith in her conflicting statements about her awareness of the license requirement. He emphasized the importance of clarity in communication to avoid confusion.
Following consultations with his ethics adviser, Keir Starmer announced that the issue could be resolved without further investigation. Downing Street reaffirmed confidence in Reeves and assured that she would proceed with delivering the Budget on November 26.
