Angela Rayner breaks silence on 'safari request' during official trip to Ethiopia

Angela Rayner has denied claims she asked to go on a personal safari during an official trip to Africa. The Deputy Prime Minister is said to have made the request for a visit to Ethiopia last month.

But on Tuesday, the Housing Secretary insisted her schedule was “absolutely ram-packed” and a safari was “never part of the programme”. She told LBC: “There was no personal safari holiday. 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 ram-packed, full of work that I was doing on behalf of the UK Government. There was no safari. I was working."

Pressed on if she asked to go on one, she added: “No, I was working that whole time. It was never part of the programme."

Two government sources told The Times that Ms Rayner asked accompanying officials if she could use the trip to go on a safari tour.

One source said: “She was told that’s not how these things worked.”

Ms Rayner’s office did not deny the claims and said: “The itinerary was agreed in advance and this was not part of it."

A spokesman added: “The Deputy Prime Minister carried out diplomatic business and humanitarian engagements to demonstrate the UK’s commitment to the region and promote ambitions for partnerships and mutual economic growth.”

During the LBC interview, Ms Rayner also defended Chancellor Rachel Reeves's acceptance of free tickets to a Sabrina Carpenter concert at the O2 arena.

She said: “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.”