PM Defends Deputy PM Amid Angela Rayner Property Tax Controversy

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is facing criticism over her property tax arrangements following her purchase of an £800,000 flat in Hove, amid allegations she saved £40,000 in stamp duty by removing her name from the deeds of a family property in Greater Manchester. Rayner, who also serves as Housing Secretary, continues to designate the Greater Manchester property as her primary residence despite no longer owning a stake after her divorce, which some critics say allowed her to avoid higher taxes on multiple properties. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has strongly defended Rayner, calling her rise from a humble background to Deputy Prime Minister "an incredible achievement" and a "great story of British success." He criticized those briefing against Rayner, emphasizing pride in her accomplishments and dismissing the tax controversy as a mistake to focus on negatively. The controversy also includes reports that Rayner saved approximately £2,000 in council tax on a grace-and-favour flat in central London. Despite calls from Conservative leaders for an ethics inquiry, Rayner's spokesperson maintains she paid all relevant duties and that accusations of tax evasion are "entirely without basis."