Labour's Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner, has made a dramatic pledge to step down from her position if an ongoing police investigation finds she committed any wrongdoing in the sale of her former council house. The high-stakes declaration comes as the controversy threatens to dominate the early stages of the Labour election campaign.
In a defiant statement, the Ashton-under-Lyne MP stated she is '100 per cent confident' she has done nothing illegal regarding the sale of her ex-council property in Vicarage Road, Stockport. The probe centres on allegations she may have avoided paying capital gains tax and breached electoral law over her declared main residence.
A Political Storm Intensifies
The investigation was launched after Greater Manchester Police reassessed a complaint from Conservative Party deputy chairman James Daly. Mr Daly had alleged that Ms Rayner provided false information about her primary residence, a potential breach of electoral law.
Ms Rayner has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the property was her principal home. She has criticised what she calls a 'desperate smear campaign' by the Tories, intended to distract from the government's record.
Pressure on Starmer's Labour
The allegations have placed Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in a difficult position. Initially backing his deputy unequivocally, he has since stated that he would 'hold her to the standards that she expects of others' if the police find evidence of criminal activity.
This personal guarantee from Rayner is seen as an attempt to draw a line under the affair and prevent it from derailing Labour's focus on the cost-of-living crisis and the state of public services in the run-up to the general election.
The outcome of the police investigation is now awaited with intense political interest, holding significant consequences for one of the UK's most prominent politicians.
