Starmer faces difficult choice as Rayner awaits ethics ruling

Political Reporter
National Press Corporation(NPC), UK

Angela Rayner’s political future could hinge on the findings of an independent report into her property dealings, expected as soon as today.

The deputy prime minister and housing secretary admitted earlier this year that she should have paid more stamp duty on a flat she bought in Hove, East Sussex. However, she maintains she relied on professional advice at the time.

The conveyancing firm that handled the purchase has said it did not provide her with tax guidance. Rayner’s allies insist she was advised by three separate figures – a conveyancer and two specialists in trust law – but that the advice proved flawed.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly declined to say whether he would remove Rayner from her post if she is found to have breached the ministerial code. He has nonetheless stood by his deputy, as have several cabinet ministers.

The Conservatives and Reform UK have demanded her resignation. For Starmer, the BBC’s political editor Chris Mason writes, this is a case of “heads it’s awkward, tails it’s awkward.”