Angela Rayner quiet on nature of relationship with married MP despite slamming Matt Hancock over his affair
ANGELA Rayner has been accused of hypocrisy after calling out Matt Hancock over his affair — while keeping quiet on the nature of her relationship with a married MP.
The Labour deputy leader, 41, grew close to Shadow Minister Sam Tarry after being wed for a decade and it is understood his marriage is now in crisis.
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Her bond with the father of two was revealed in The Sun on Sunday last October.
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen declared: “The public deserves the same transparency from Angela Rayner as she has demanded of Matt Hancock.
“She’s taken the moral high ground on this matter on every occasion. You can always bank on the Left for their constant hypocrisy.”
Mrs Rayner, who has two children with estranged husband Mark, wrote to Boris Johnson demanding he sack Mr Hancock following the revelations.
She said the Health Secretary should have revealed he was “engaged in a relationship” with Gina Coladangelo, who he appointed as a paid non-executive director.
She urged a full inquiry and said its findings should be published over any apparent Ministerial Code breach.
The Department of Health’s top mandarin was asked by letter what steps were taken to address “the potential, actual or perceived conflict of interest” in Mr Hancock’s “personal relationship” with a non-executive director.
She also called on Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to probe Mr Hancock’s use of a private email account for government business and said a “stink of sleaze” hung around Boris Johnson’s government and his “disregard for rules and ethics sets the standards for his ministers”.
Mrs Rayner married union official Mark Rayner in 2010 and became an MP in 2015. She was Shadow Education Secretary under Jeremy Corbyn.
Her supporters were thought to be trying to build a support base for her to challenge for the party leadership. Pressure on Sir Keir Starmer eased this week with the narrow Batley and Spen by-election win.
Her relationship with Mr Tarry, 38, grew after she split from her husband.
One Westminster source said they had been “working intensely” when he was given the job of improving campaigning for the party.
There is no suggestion of misuse of public money.
Mr Tarry refused to comment when asked about his relationship with Mrs Rayner.
Last October a source would not comment on whether they were having an intimate relationship but said Tarry’s appointment was made before they got close.
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A spokesman for Mrs Rayner said: “Angela demanded an independent investigation by the Cabinet Secretary and Independent Adviser on Members’ Interests into whether any rules were broken by Matt Hancock handing out taxpayers’ money to his close friend.
“Any suggestions Angela has acted improperly in any way will be considered libellous.”
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A Labour source said Mr Hancock’s private life was his own business.
They added: “The issue is when that private life involves dishing out taxpayers’ money.”