Angela Rayner, plain-speaking scourge of the Tories, made herself vulnerable

The northerner whose emotional openness was an electoral asset eventually had to follow the advice she had given to Conservative rivals and quit

When Nadhim Zahawi's fate was hanging in the balance after a scandal over unpaid taxes, Angela Rayner was one of the first to pile on the political pressure.

Nadhim Zahawi's story about his tax affairs doesn't add up," she said at the time. After months of denials, the truth emerges. His position is untenable. Rishi Sunak must dismiss him from his cabinet."