Thursday, September 4, 2025 - UK's Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner admitted on Wednesday, September 3, that she failed to pay the correct amount of property tax on a flat purchase, after days of mounting scrutiny over her financial affairs.
Rayner, 45, said she has referred herself to the
government’s ethics adviser and notified tax authorities, attributing the error
to “inaccurate” legal advice. Speaking on a Sky News podcast, the housing
minister said the revelation left her questioning whether she should resign.
“I’ve been in shock, really, because I thought I’d done
everything properly,” Rayner said. “I relied on the advice that I received, and
I’m devastated because I’ve always upheld the rules and always have felt proud
to do that.”
The controversy centres on her purchase of an apartment in
Hove, southern England. Reports suggested she avoided paying £40,000 in stamp
duty by removing her name from the deeds of another property in her
constituency, leaving the flat as her sole ownership. Rayner said her lawyers
had failed to properly consider her full personal circumstances, including a
trust fund set up for her disabled son. As a result, she said, the “appropriate
stamp duty” was not paid at the time.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer offered his backing in
parliament, describing Rayner as transparent in her response. “She has
explained her personal circumstances in detail. She’s gone over and above in
setting out the details,” he told MPs, adding he was “proud to sit alongside”
her.
Rayner, who left school with no qualifications after
becoming pregnant at 16, is a prominent figure on Labour’s left and is
frequently tipped as a potential future party leader.
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