Angela Rayner, the deputy British prime minister, has admitted that she did not pay enough tax on a home purchase and that she has considered resigning
LONDON — Angela Rayner, the deputy British prime minister, admitted on Wednesday that she did not pay enough tax on a home purchase and that she has considered resigning.
Following weeks of press speculation regarding the tax paid on her purchase of an apartment in Hove, on England’s south coast, Rayner told Sky News that she has referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards.
A clearly emotional Rayner said she had received inaccurate tax advice on the 800,000-pound purchase ($1 million), and had spoken to her family about quitting her job in government.
She said complications regarding “complex living arrangements” were stoked by her divorce in 2023 and by the fact that her son has “life-long disabilities” as a result of an injury.
“I’ve been in shock, really, because I thought I’d done everything properly, and I relied on the advice that I received and I’m devastated because I’ve always upheld the rules and always have felt proud to do that,” she said.
In a statement, Rayner said she “deeply regrets the error” and is “committed to resolving this matter fully and providing the transparency that public service demands.”
Reports have suggested that she saved 40,000 pounds by not paying the appropriate levy — known as a stamp duty — that is charged on home purchases above a certain value.
Rayner, who holds the housing brief in Keir Starmer ‘s Labour government, has often railed against those who deliberately underpay tax.