Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, has stated she will step down if a police investigation concludes she committed a criminal offence. The probe by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) concerns the sale of her former council house in March 2015 and allegations of false electoral registration and potential capital gains tax avoidance.
Rayner purchased the property on Vicarage Road, Stockport, in 2007 for £79,000 with a 25% right-to-buy discount. The investigation follows a complaint by Conservative Party deputy chair James Daly, who questioned whether Rayner provided false information about her main residence during her marriage before becoming an MP in May 2015. GMP initially declined to investigate but reversed its decision after reviewing the complaint.
Rayner has insisted she followed all rules and welcomed the chance to present her case to authorities. She said she would only release her tax and legal advice if Conservatives calling for it did the same. Labour leader Keir Starmer declined to say whether Rayner would have to resign if found to have broken the law, but added the police probe 'will allow a line to be drawn'.
Questions about Rayner's living arrangements emerged from a biography by former Tory deputy chair Michael Ashcroft. Neighbours have reportedly disputed her claim that she lived separately from her husband, Mark Rayner, for the first five years of their marriage, and that her brother resided at her Stockport home from around 2012. Rayner maintained she kept her own property due to needing support after their son's premature birth in 2008.
Electoral law requires voters to register at their permanent address, and providing false information can lead to penalties. Rayner has stated she was registered at her Stockport home throughout the period and considered it her principal residence.
