Allies of Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner have issued a stinging rebuke to Home Secretary James Cleverly, accusing him of peddling "baseless smears" over her past council tax arrangements. The heated exchange threatens to shatter the fragile cross-party consensus on tightening rules for second homes.
The political firestorm ignited after Cleverly suggested Rayner may have avoided paying a VAT bill on a council tax discount she received for a property a decade ago. He pointed to a specific VAT notice, implying a potential historical discrepancy.
A Firm and Immediate Denial
Rayner's camp responded with force, dismissing the claims as "utterly desperate and completely untrue." A spokesperson for the deputy leader stated unequivocally that all tax due was paid in full, labelling the Home Secretary's intervention a transparent political attack designed to distract from government failures.
The rebuttal emphasised that Rayner's past financial affairs have been thoroughly scrutinised and she has already been vindicated against previous accusations. This latest skirmish is seen as a continuation of a long-running Tory effort to undermine a key political opponent.
Threatening a Bipartisan Truce
This public spat carries significant weight beyond mere political point-scoring. Just last week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Levelling Up Secretary Lisa Nandy announced plans to close the 'second homes loophole', a policy that surprisingly garnered public support from several Conservative MPs.
By launching this fresh attack, commentators suggest Cleverly risks torpedoing this rare moment of agreement. Rayner's team framed the move as a cynical attempt to derail a popular policy that would ensure second homeowners pay their fair share, simply to launch a misguided smear.
The row leaves the future of the proposed policy on shaky ground and signals a return to the bitter partisan warfare that has characterised Westminster in recent years.
