Angela Rayner has reportedly left government after a sleaze report into her property dealings, with Labour now facing deepening political turmoil.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary came under intense scrutiny after admitting she underpaid £40,000 in stamp duty on her £800,000 seaside flat in Hove. She blamed the mistake on incorrect legal advice but has been accused of scapegoating the conveyancing firm involved.
Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser, handed his verdict to Sir Keir Starmer earlier today. Starmer had previously refused to guarantee Rayner’s future, saying only that he would “act on whatever the report is”.
Reports suggest Rayner has already vacated her role in Cabinet. However, she retains her separate elected mandate as deputy leader of the Labour Party, leaving her political position complicated.
The 45-year-old gave an emotional interview earlier this week, saying she had considered resigning and that her decisions were shaped by the need to provide stability for her son, who has lifelong disabilities.
But the law firm Verrico & Associates, which managed the flat purchase, issued a strongly worded statement saying it had calculated the stamp duty “strictly based on the information provided by Ms Rayner” using HMRC’s own system. Managing director Joanna Verrico said: “We probably are being made scapegoats for all this, and I’ve got the arrows stuck in my back to show it.”
Senior Labour figures have rallied around Rayner, arguing she is being unfairly targeted, but the row has escalated into one of the biggest crises of Starmer’s leadership.