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Angela Rayner insists there were no plans for 'personal safari tour' during official trip to Ethiopia
25 March 2025, 11:48 | Updated: 25 March 2025, 12:15
Angela Rayner has denied plans to go on a safari trip while visiting Ethiopia, insisting that she was working the whole time.
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The deputy PM visited Ethiopia last month on a diplomatic visit to meet leaders.
Speaking to LBC's Tom Swarbrick, Ms Rayner said her schedule was "rampacked" and a safari was never part of her plans.
It comes amid claims she requested a safari tour while on the work trip but civil servants told her that the excursion would not be possible on an official trip.
Angela Rayner joins Tom Swarbrick as Labour announces £2billion for affordable housing | Watch in full
"There was no personal safari holiday," Ms Rayner said. "I went to Ethiopia, I met the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, I did diplomatic conversations.
"I went and visited some of the schemes that we had that was humanitarian.
"My schedule was absolutely rampacked, full of work that I was doing on behalf of the UK government. There was no safari. I was working."
She added: "I was working that whole time. It was never part of the programme."
According to the Times, Ms Rayner was refused the safari, with one source saying: "She was told that's not how these things worked."
Her office did not deny claims but said: "The itinerary was agreed in advance and this was not part of it."
The deputy PM ruled out tax rises for the richest saying the wealthiest are already "paying a huge amount in tax".
She faced down calls from Labour MPs to introduce a wealth tax, telling Tom that the government have found a “sweet spot” when it comes to taxing the wealthiest.
"We've been challenged from both sides of the coin on this," she said. "You're not taxing enough, you're taxing too much.
"I think we've probably hit a sweet spot on that, but Rachel's been really clear that everyone has to play their part, including Pat McFadden's announcement on the Civil Service, making sure we're efficient, looking at reforms to the system, which is what each department is doing at the moment, including mine."
Matthew Pennycook on freebies
Ms Rayner also addressed Chancellor Rachel Reeves' decision to take free tickets to a Sabrina Carpenter concert at the O2 arena.
The move came ahead of her imposing cuts to spending, including the benefits bill, in a bid to balance the books.
"For decades, MPs have been given opportunities for hospitality or visits, whether it's in the UK or overseas," Ms Rayner said. "All MPs of all political parties. What was brought in was a system of declaration. So it's completely transparent, so people can see that.
"I think it's totally okay for Rachel to make that decision. She said why she did that. She said it was around security as well. I completely understand her position on that and she's declared it in the proper and right way."
It comes after housing minister Matthew Pennycook hit out at Ms Reeves, saying he did not consider it appropriate for ministers to accept free concert tickets.
'If I want to go to a concert at the O2, I'll pay for it," he told LBC. "But individual MPs and individual ministers make their own decisions.
"I think the important thing is that everything is declared and above board.
"Individual people can make their choices as to whether they think it's appropriate to take tickets on occasions."
The PM has backed the Chancellor, with Downing Street saying he "supports all of his ministers making their own judgments" in relation to accepting hospitality within ministerial rules.
Listen to the full interview with LBC's Tom Swarbrick from 4pm on Global Player.
