Keir Starmer has informed Rachel Reeves that no further action will be taken regarding her unintentional oversight in obtaining a rental license. The lack of communication about the rental arrangement was deemed regrettable but not grounds for any punitive measures.

Reeves had acknowledged breaching local council housing regulations by failing to secure a necessary rental license for her family property. She shared emails revealing that the letting agency, Harvey & Wheeler, had agreed to apply for the license, taking full responsibility for the oversight.

In correspondence to Keir Starmer, Reeves disclosed that the letting agency and her husband had acknowledged the need for a selective license back in July 2024 but failed to follow through due to a staff member’s departure. Reeves accepted the lapse in securing the license and apologized for not bringing the information to Starmer’s attention sooner.

In response, the Prime Minister, after consulting the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, concluded that Reeves’ failure to secure the license was inadvertent and that no further action was warranted. The independent standards adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, confirmed that Reeves’ error was unintentional and found no evidence of malicious intent in her conflicting statements.

Sir Laurie clarified that despite initial claims of unawareness, emails revealed that Reeves’ husband had been informed of the license requirement in 2024 but had forgotten due to a busy period. He emphasized that while the situation had caused confusion, there was no evidence of deliberate wrongdoing.

Following the consultations with his ethics adviser, Keir Starmer expressed satisfaction that the issue could be resolved without a probe. Downing Street affirmed its confidence in Reeves and assured that she would present the Budget on November 26 as scheduled.