In Ashton-under-Lyne, the constituency of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, there is little sympathy following her admission of a stamp duty mistake. Rayner acknowledged on Wednesday that she had not paid the correct amount when buying a flat in Hove, attributing it to legal advice that later proved flawed.
Locals, many of whom face financial struggles, are calling for Rayner to resign. Andrew Davies, 57, a site leader for a chemical company, said: “I pay a lot more taxes than a lot of people. I think she should resign as housing minister and maybe even consider deputy as well. She doesn’t represent Tameside one little bit.”
Liz Carroll, 40, said Rayner “should resign totally” from her ministerial roles and her parliamentary seat, calling her “a disgrace”. Carroll, who voted Labour at the last election, said she now plans to vote Reform in the future.
The controversy stems from Rayner’s purchase of an £800,000 flat in Hove in May, where she paid the standard stamp duty rate of about £30,000 rather than the higher rate for second homes, which could have been as much as £70,000. She claimed she acted on legal advice after placing her Tameside home in a trust for her children, but later accepted she still had an interest in that property.
In Hove, graffiti calling Rayner a “tax evader” appeared outside her flat, which her spokesperson described as “unjustifiable and beyond the pale”. Meanwhile, in Ashton-under-Lyne, residents expressed anger that the housing minister could make such an error. Maureen Mills, 76, said: “When you think about people struggling, it’s just awful.”
Some constituents also criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer for standing by Rayner, with Adam Barratt, 49, stating: “He should go ‘you’re sacked’, but he won’t will he?”
