Angela Rayner Resigns After Admitting To Not Paying Enough Tax On Hove Flat
Angela Rayner has resigned from her roles as deputy prime minister and housing secretary, as well as her position as deputy Labour leader, after admitting to underpaying stamp duty on her £800,000 flat in Hove. The resignation follows a report by the Prime Minister's ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, who concluded that while she "acted with integrity," she had breached the ministerial code. In her resignation letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Rayner said she "deeply regret[s] my decision to not seek additional specialist tax advice" and took "full responsibility for this error."
Rayner had previously stated that legal advice indicated she did not have to pay the higher stamp duty for a second home. However, she later conceded this was a "mistake" after new legal counsel advised she was in fact liable. She has since contacted HMRC to resolve the matter and pay the correct amount. A conveyancing firm, Verrico and Associates, who she claimed gave her legal advice, denied giving her tax advice, stating its lawyers "never" did so and that they were being made into scapegoats. Managing director Joanna Verrico said, “We’re not qualified to give advice on trust and tax matters and we advise clients to seek expert advice on these.”
Rayner, who first became an MP in 2015 and was elected deputy Labour leader in 2020, took on her government roles after Labour's 2024 general election victory. Her departure leaves a significant gap in the government, particularly in the housing department, where she was tasked with a key party pledge to build 1.5 million homes.
