Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has delivered a crushing verdict on Angela Rayner’s political future after the Deputy Prime Minister admitted she failed to pay the correct stamp duty on her £800,000 Hove seafront flat, declaring “I don’t see how Angela Rayner can survive this.”
The damning nine-word assessment came as Ms Rayner referred herself to Sir Keir Starmer’s ethics adviser and revealed she had considered resigning from the Cabinet over the tax scandal. Speaking ahead of his appearance at the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee in Washington, where he missed Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Farage’s intervention adds to mounting pressure on the Prime Minister to sack his deputy.
The crisis deepens concerns about Ms Rayner’s Red Wall constituency of Ashton-under-Lyne, where recent polling by More in Common suggests Reform UK could snatch the seat with a commanding lead. The model predicts Ms Rayner would lose her Greater Manchester stronghold to Mr Farage’s party if an election were held today.
‘Devastated’ Deputy PM Blames Bad Advice
Ms Rayner admitted she had underpaid stamp duty after initially claiming the Hove property was her main residence, saving an estimated £40,000. The Housing Secretary blamed incorrect legal advice for the error, telling Sky’s Electoral Dysfunction podcast she was “devastated” by the revelation.
“I spoke to my family about it,” Ms Rayner said when asked if she had considered resigning. “I spoke to my ex-husband, who has been an incredibly supportive person because he knows that all I’ve done is try and support my family and help them.”
The Deputy Prime Minister confirmed she had referred herself to the independent ministerial standards adviser and contacted HMRC to arrange payment of the additional tax owed. She revealed the complex arrangements stemmed from a trust established in 2020 for her disabled son following a family court order.
“I’ve been in shock, really, because I thought I’d done everything properly, and I relied on the advice that I received,” Ms Rayner said. “That it is devastating for me and the fact that the reason why those confidential clauses were in place was to protect my son, who, through no fault of his own, he’s vulnerable, he’s got this life changing, lifelong conditions.”
Tories Demand Sacking as Reform Circles
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch launched a blistering attack during Prime Minister’s Questions, claiming Sir Keir would sack Ms Rayner “if he had a backbone.” She added: “It is clear that taxes are going up for everyone, except perhaps the Deputy Prime Minister.
Shadow Housing Secretary Sir James Cleverly twisted the knife further, declaring: “Her credibility is in tatters, she’s dodged questions all summer, her actions reek of hypocrisy. Starmer is too weak to kick her out.”
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice echoed the calls for Ms Rayner’s dismissal, stating: “If anyone from any other party had been in that situation and tried to dodge paying the correct amount of tax, no-one would have screamed and hollered louder than the Deputy Prime Minister.
The controversy centres on Ms Rayner’s property arrangements across three locations. She removed her name from the deeds of her Ashton-under-Lyne constituency home weeks before purchasing the Hove flat, allowing her to pay £30,000 in stamp duty rather than the £70,000 that would have applied to a second home.
PM Backs Deputy Despite Pressure
Sir Keir Starmer offered a robust defence of his deputy during the Commons clash, praising her for lifting a court confidentiality order to ensure transparency. The Prime Minister told MPs: “In relation to the Deputy Prime Minister, she has explained her personal circumstances in detail, she’s gone over-and-above in setting out the details, including yesterday afternoon asking a court to lift a confidentiality order in relation to her own son.
I know from speaking at length to the Deputy Prime Minister just how difficult that decision was for her and her family,” Sir Keir added. “But she did it to ensure that all information is in the public domain, she has now referred herself to the independent adviser, that is the right thing to do.”
The stamp duty row comes amid a bitter feud between Ms Rayner and Mr Farage over the Online Safety Act. The Deputy Prime Minister recently accused the Reform UK leader of “failing young women” by opposing the controversial legislation, which critics warn threatens freedom of speech.
Electoral Threat Looms Large
The timing could not be worse for Ms Rayner, with Reform UK sources suggesting her Hove property purchase signals a potential “chicken run” from her increasingly vulnerable Red Wall seat. Recent modelling by More in Common predicts Reform UK would win Ashton-under-Lyne in a dramatic realignment of British politics.
The April MRP poll of over 16,000 voters suggested Reform UK could win 180 seats nationally, with Labour and the Conservatives tied on 165 each. Ten cabinet ministers would lose their seats under this scenario, nine to Reform UK, including Ms Rayner.
Tax experts confirmed Ms Rayner’s error relates to complex “deeming provisions” connected to her son’s trust. Because she had transferred her stake in the Ashton property to the trust before buying in Hove, she could not claim the seaside flat as her only residence for stamp duty purposes.
Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride seized on the timing, saying: “It is utterly extraordinary that while working families and businesses are being hammered by Labour’s tax hikes, Angela Rayner has been underpaying her own taxes.
The Deputy Prime Minister maintains her Ashton-under-Lyne property remains her family home where her children live and attend school. She insists the sale to the trust was designed to provide security for her vulnerable son.
As the ethics investigation begins, Ms Rayner faces questions not just about her tax affairs but her political future. With Reform UK circling her constituency and Conservative MPs baying for blood, Mr Farage’s stark assessment may prove prophetic.
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Image Credit:
Nigel Farage at CPAC 2017 — photo by Gage Skidmore, taken 24 February 2017, CC BY-SA 2.0
