Angela Rayner has resigned from her roles as Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, as well as stepping down as deputy leader of the Labour Party, after acknowledging that she did not pay sufficient stamp duty on her second home. The announcement was made after a report regarding her potential breach of the ministerial code was submitted to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer by his standards adviser.

In her resignation letter to Sir Keir, Rayner expressed that the overwhelming strain on her children had made it ‘unbearable’ for her to remain in office. She stated that she ‘deeply’ regretted her decision not to seek additional specialist tax advice before making her property purchase in Hove, East Sussex.

Initially, Rayner had been informed by lawyers that she was not required to pay second home stamp duty on her Hove flat. However, following reports indicating she may have underpaid by forty thousand pounds, she consulted further legal counsel which contradicted the initial advice, stating the property could not be classed as a second home.

In interviews leading up to her resignation, Rayner noted that she sought legal advice based on media scrutiny, reaffirming that her intention was always to pay the correct amount of tax. This situation has contributed to her decision to resign from key positions within the Labour Party.