uk-deputy-prime-minister-resigns

The United Kingdom’s deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, resigned the position on Friday after an independent inquiry stated that she did not meet the ethical standards required for government ministers over recent underpayment of tax.

 

Rayner herself admits that she did not pay enough tax on her purchase of an apartment in Hove, on England's south coast. She then referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards, Laurie Magnus, who delivered his report to Prime Minister Keir Starmer today, September 5.

 

In the UK, levies are charged on property purchases, with higher charges due on more expensive homes and secondary residences.

 

 

As cited in the reports, Rayner saved 40,000 pounds by not paying the appropriate levy, known as stamp duty.

 

Rayner, who holds the housing brief in the Labour government and has forged a reputation as one of its most forthright speakers, has often railed against those who deliberately underpay tax, particularly those in the preceding Conservative administration, which Labour replaced in July 2024.