Angela Rayner has insisted she did “absolutely nothing wrong” when she sold her council house, as Greater Manchester Police review their decision not to investigate claims against her. The deputy Labour leader told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she was confident she had not broken any rules.
The police are reassessing their earlier decision after Conservative MP James Daly made a complaint about the force’s handling of the issue. The Tories have pressed for an investigation into claims Rayner may have been liable to pay capital gains tax on the sale, allegations first raised in a book by former Tory deputy chair Lord Ashcroft.
Rayner said she had received tax advice at the time stating she followed proper process, and she is willing to share this with police or HMRC but not make it public. “I’ve been very clear, I will if HMRC want that information, I will comply,” she said, adding that the claims were politically motivated.
Separately, Rayner argued that Boris Johnson’s levelling up agenda had merit, accusing Rishi Sunak of abandoning it. She and Labour leader Keir Starmer vowed to revive plans to redress regional inequality. Rayner also said she would not slow down workers’ rights reforms despite criticism from former business secretary Peter Mandelson, stating she is working with businesses and unions to rebalance employment protections.
