Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, has stated that she will resign if she is found guilty of any legal violations. She expressed her full confidence in having always adhered to the rules in a statement.
Accusations have been made against her for allegedly providing incorrect information about her primary residence, leading to a dispute over the occupants of her previous council house. The Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are currently investigating to determine if any laws have been violated.
In a statement issued by the Labour Party, Ms. Rayner stated, “If I have committed a crime, I will certainly do the right thing and resign. The British public deserves politicians who understand that the rules apply to them as well.”
As Labour’s shadow housing secretary, she is eager to present the facts to the relevant authorities at the earliest opportunity. She further added, “The questions raised pertain to a period before my tenure as an MP. I have explained my family’s situation and sought expert tax and legal advice.”
The police investigation was triggered by a complaint from Tory deputy chairman James Daly. He reportedly informed the police about neighbors contradicting Ms. Rayner’s claim that a property, separate from her husband’s, was her primary residence.
Initially, the police stated there would be no investigation. However, Mr. Daly, the MP for Bury North, complained that the officers did not seem to have examined the electoral roll and other documents, nor spoken to neighbors. A spokesperson for the Greater Manchester Police stated, “We are investigating whether any crimes have been committed. This follows a reassessment of the information provided to us by Mr. Daly.”
Ms. Rayner, formerly Bowen, purchased a semi-detached council home in 2007, availing a 25% discount under the Right to Buy scheme introduced by former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She reportedly made a profit of £48,500 when she sold the house eight years later.
She was registered as living at that house, on Vicarage Road, Stockport, in Greater Manchester, on the electoral roll until she sold the property in 2015. However, she seems to have provided two different addresses when she re-registered the births of two of her children in 2010 after her marriage to Mark Rayner, listing her then-husband’s home on Lowndes Lane.
The crux of the dispute is which home was her primary residence. Tax experts estimate that she may owe up to about £3,500 in Capital Gains Tax in the worst-case scenario, although she may not owe anything at all.
Ms. Rayner stated that she would “not apologize for holding Conservative ministers accountable in the past” and added “we have seen the Tory Party use this playbook before – reporting political opponents to the police during election campaigns to distract from their record.”
Her party leader Sir Keir Starmer, expressed his full confidence that Angela Rayner has not violated any rules.
