Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner will face no police action over her past council house sale, after Greater Manchester Police concluded its investigation into her living arrangements before she became an MP. The force said it would not take any further action but referred the matter to HMRC and Stockport Council for tax and council tax issues.
The row began after an unauthorised biography by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft raised questions about whether Ms Rayner paid the correct capital gains tax on the sale of her former council house in Vicarage Road, Stockport, which she bought under the right-to-buy scheme in 2007 and sold in 2015 for a £48,500 profit. Married couples can normally only count one property as their main home for CGT purposes, but Ms Rayner argued she was unaware of this rule and did not have an accountant at the time.
Greater Manchester Police initially declined to investigate but reversed its decision after a request from Conservative deputy chairman James Daly. The force later said it had referred the investigation to HMRC and Stockport Council because council tax and personal tax do not fall under policing jurisdiction. HMRC subsequently confirmed Ms Rayner owed no capital gains tax, and Stockport Council said it would not pursue police action.
Ms Rayner welcomed the conclusion, accusing the Conservative Party of 'desperate tactics' to distract from their record. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer backed his deputy throughout the investigation.
