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PoliticsNew UK Defence Secretary Streeting to forgo salary for first three months
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Wes Streeting, newly appointed as Britain's Defence Secretary under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, will not receive a salary for his first three months in the role. This decision comes after he resigned as Health Secretary two months ago in protest of Keir Starmer's leadership, which entitled him to a £16,876 severance payment equivalent to three months of a cabinet minister's salary. Rather than returning the lump sum, Streeting will forgo his ministerial salary for the same period, following House of Commons guidance that is not mandatory. The article contrasts this with former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who was reappointed as Housing Secretary by Burnham 10 months after resigning amid a tax dispute later cleared by HMRC. Rayner rejected Tory calls to return her severance pay, stating she earned it through prior government service.
Source report
HuffPost UK can reveal that Wes Streeting will not receive a salary for his first three months as defence secretary.
The cabinet minister was appointed to the prominent role in new Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government on Monday. The appointment came just two months after Streeting resigned as health secretary in protest at Keir Starmer's leadership.
That resignation entitled him to a pay-off of £16,876, equivalent to three months of a cabinet minister's salary. His swift return to government raised questions about whether he would hand back that lump sum.
However, HuffPost UK has learned that he will instead forgo his ministerial salary during his first three months at the Ministry of Defence.
Rules on Reappointment
According to the House of Commons library, ministers who are re-appointed to another government role within three months of standing down "will be expected to forgo their salary until the full three-month period has elapsed."
However, this is not mandatory, meaning they could take their salary from day one if they chose to do so.
Comparison with Angela Rayner
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner was re-appointed housing secretary by Burnham, 10 months after she was forced to resign amid a row over her tax affairs. HMRC has since cleared her of any wrongdoing.
On Thursday, she rejected calls from the Conservatives that she hand back her severance pay, even though she is under no obligation to do so.
Rayner said: "No, my severance payment was given to me at the time. I'd worked in Government for a period of time, and then I came out of government for just under a year, I think is the timetable, and I'll be delivering in government again."
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Source
HuffPost UK - Athena2 - All Entries (Public)Western
Part of this Story
Wes Streeting to Forgo Salary for First Three Months as Defence Secretary