UK Deputy PM Angela Rayner Faces Tax Inquiry Amid Political Pressure

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner is facing intense scrutiny after admitting to underpaying stamp duty on her £800,000 flat in Hove, which she described as an 'error' she deeply regrets. Rayner has referred herself to the government's independent ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, and HM Revenue and Customs for investigation, with the inquiry expected to take about a week. Despite calls for her resignation from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform's Nigel Farage, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and senior Labour ministers, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, have expressed their support for her. The controversy has created mixed reactions within the Labour Party, where some sympathize with Rayner's difficult family circumstances, including caring for her disabled son, while others are concerned about the political fallout ahead of a critical autumn budget. The situation has also tested the patience of her government colleagues, overshadowing their own political agendas. Ultimately, Rayner's future hinges on the findings of the ministerial standards investigation and whether she can prove that the legal advice she received was incorrect.