Angela Rayner faces judgement day with Starmer ready to act over ethics report: UK politics live

The Independent’s political editor David Maddox writes:

As Nigel Farage gets ready to address Reform supporters at the party’s conference in Birmingham today he has had yet another poll boost.

Techne UK, which has always had lower than average Reform support recorded in its surveys, has found that the party has a 10 point lead over Labour in its first poll after the summer break.

According to the Techne UK findings, Mr Farage is heading for a 107-seat majority with Reform up two on 31 per cent, Labour down one on 21 per cent, the Tories unchanged on 18 per cent, the Lib Dems down one on 14 per cent and the Greens with their new leader Zack Polanski up two on 10 per cent.

With the row raging over deputy prime minister Angela Rayner failing to pay £40,000 on a property, confidence in Keir Starmer’s government is at a mere 23 per cent, according to the poll of 1,644 people.Since last year’s July election 33 per cent of Tory voters, 12 per cent of Labour and 18 per cent of Lib Dem supporters have switched to Reform, the poll suggests.

Techne UK chief executive Michela Morizzo said: “With Reform UK’s party conference to begin shortly they will no doubt further benefit from the additional profile party conference season brings. These are indeed very good times for Reform U.K. and conversely very difficult times for Labour and the Conservatives.”

Ms Rayner referred herself for an ethics investigation on Wednesday, admitting that she had not paid enough stamp duty on the purchase of the £800,000 flat.

She said she had initially been advised that she was not liable for the second property surcharge because she had sold her stake in her family home in Ashton-under-Lyne to a court-instructed trust established in 2020 to benefit her disabled son.

But she conceded she had made a “mistake” after fresh legal advice from a “leading tax counsel” later revealed that she was liable for the extra duty on her new Hove flat.

Before then, she had insisted for weeks that she had paid the correct amount of tax.

The independent ethics adviser will assess whether Ms Rayner broke the ministerial rules, which place an “overarching duty on ministers to comply with the law”, “behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety”, and “be as open as possible” with the public.

Sir Keir told the BBC he would “act on whatever the report is that’s put in front of me”.

A minister has said the scandal surrounding Angela Rayner has created “headlines not anybody would have wanted”.

“I know how this looks,” trade minister Douglas Alexander told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Mr Alexander refused repeatedly to say whether the deputy prime minister should be sacked if Sir Laurie Magnus’s ethics report finds she breached the ministerial code.

But he said: “These are not headlines anyone would have chosen, least of all Angela Rayner, she understands, and we all understand how this looks.”

When asked this morning if Angela Rayner would still be deputy prime minister at the end of the year, it is not surprising that Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, was reluctant to give a definite answer.

“We’ve got a process that’s underway with the independent adviser,” Phillipson told LBC. “I’m not going to get into hypotheticals or speculate. I’m sorry to disappoint you. I’m just not going to do it. That process will run its course.”

Given that Rayner had previously allowed ministerial colleagues, including Keir Starmer, to back her when she knew there might be a problem, Phillipson’s caution is understandable.

Read the full analysis from John Rentoul here:

Footage from the seaside flat shows the words “tax evader” and “b***h” written in purple, red and yellow lettering. The words can be seen in various sizes across the front of the white wall around her front patio.

An additional message of “Tax evader Rayner” could also be seen graffitied on a construction clipboard nearby.

A spokesperson for Ms Rayner decried the offensive graffiti as “unjustifiable and beyond the pale”.

The spokesperson said: “This vandalism to residents’ homes is totally unjustifiable and beyond the pale.

“Neither Angela nor her neighbours deserve to be subjected to harassment and intimidation.

“It will rightly be a matter for the police to take action as they deem appropriate.”

In the wake of Angela Rayner’s lawyers denying giving her tax advice, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “This is yet more damning evidence that Angela Rayner has not been honest with the British public.

“From the start, we’ve had nothing but excuses, deflections and lies. Enough is enough.

“How many final straws can there be for Angela Rayner? She must resign or Keir Starmer must finally find the backbone to sack her.”

Dan Neidle, founder of Tax Policy Associates, said on X: “Looking increasingly like Ms Rayner didn’t actually obtain tax advice before this week.”

With the benefit of some hindsight, it might have been better all around if, having had the offer on her spacious and desirable flat in Hove accepted, the deputy prime minister had set out, in exhaustive detail, how the purchase was being financed, along with all the relevant tax details.

Not much hindsight would have been required to do that, given that Angela Rayner has already weathered a similar real estate-based political storm over capital gains and council tax liabilities related to a previous sale. On that occasion, the intense pressure eventually eased when she was cleared after two police investigations and a review by HM Revenue and Customs. She may not be so fortunate this time.

Read The Independent’s full editorial here:

A minister conceded there was “frustration” as the investigation into Angela Rayner’s tax affairs continues and said it would be a “good thing” for the Government if the probe concluded quickly.

Trade minister Douglas Alexander told BBC Breakfast: “The real test is not do these issues arise, but how does the Government deal with them? We have this strengthened, independent office of ministerial standards.

“He’s conducting the inquiry. Once that’s concluded, it will go to the Prime Minister’s desk.

“I would just ask your viewers to think, what would they want, in their circumstances, in their workplace, of course, there need to be procedures.

“There’s frustration while that process is under way, but I think everyone is entitled to due process, and that’s the process that’s under way, but, listen, I get it.

“I’m not pretending these are headlines that any of us would choose, least of all Angela Rayner, and that’s why, if the reports are true that this is going to be dealt with relatively quickly, of course, I think that’s basically a good thing, not just for Angela, but for the Government as well.”

Sir Keir Starmer was being “very careful” in an interview in which he refused to say whether he would sack Angela Rayner if she is found to have broken the ministerial code, a minister has said.

Asked about the Prime Minister’s answers to the BBC on Thursday, trade minister Douglas Alexander told BBC Breakfast: “I thought if you look at how that interview has been reported in the papers this morning, you get radically different accounts as to what the Prime Minister was actually saying.

“My sense is the Prime Minister was just being very careful.

“He is, of course, a trained lawyer, as well as the Prime Minister, in not wanting to pre-judge a process that is now under way, but he was equally clear that he is ready to act on the basis of the information that he receives from Sir Laurie Magnus.”

Angela Rayner has disclosed she underpaid stamp duty on a seaside flat, claiming she received incorrect legal advice about a complex tax rule.

Ms Rayner’s admission followed mounting pressure and media reports claiming she saved £40,000 on the property in Hove, East Sussex, by removing her name from the deeds of a family home in her Ashton-under-Lyne constituency.

Read the full article here: