Downing Street has revealed that Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is barred by a court order from providing full details about the tax arrangements on her second home. The revelation comes amid ongoing scrutiny over her purchase of a flat in Hove and whether she structured her finances to avoid tax.
No 10 stated on Monday that the court order restricts Rayner from disclosing further information, but she is working urgently to resolve the issue in the interests of public transparency. Rayner has not personally commented on the controversy, though colleagues maintain she has done nothing wrong.
The Conservative Party chair, Kevin Hollinrake, has written to the prime minister's adviser on ministerial interests, Laurie Magnus, requesting an investigation into whether Rayner breached ministerial rules. However, officials say Magnus has not launched an inquiry, suggesting insufficient evidence.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave Rayner his full backing on Monday, praising her as an 'incredible person' and warning that critics were making a mistake. The controversy centres on Rayner's purchase of an £800,000 flat in Hove after removing her name from the deed of her Greater Manchester home, potentially saving £40,000 in stamp duty.
Further details emerged over the weekend that Rayner placed her Greater Manchester home into a trust in 2023, which could help her children avoid inheritance tax. The property was valued at £650,000, the threshold for inheritance tax on a bequest from two people.
