Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has thrown his full support behind Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner as she faces mounting criticism and calls for an official inquiry into her recent property dealings. The controversy centers on Rayner’s purchase of an £800,000 flat in Hove, East Sussex, and allegations—primarily from Conservative opponents and right-leaning media—that she avoided paying up to £40,000 in stamp duty by declaring the flat as her main residence to tax authorities, while simultaneously telling the local council it was her second home and paying a higher council tax rate.
The story, which has dominated headlines since late August 2025, has put Rayner’s personal finances and her role as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government under the microscope. According to The Daily Telegraph, Rayner paid £30,000 in stamp duty on the Hove flat instead of the £70,000 she would have owed had it been classed as a second home, benefiting from a recent increase in the additional rate of stamp duty for such properties. The Conservatives have seized on the reports, accusing Rayner of “hypocritical tax avoidance” while publicly supporting higher taxes on second homes and demanding an investigation by the Prime Minister’s independent standards adviser.
Rayner’s allies have been quick to defend her, emphasizing that she has done nothing wrong and that there is no suggestion she has broken any laws. A spokesperson for Rayner stated, “The deputy prime minister paid the relevant duty owing on the purchase of the Hove property in line with relevant requirements and entirely properly, any suggestion otherwise is entirely without basis.”
Adding to the complexity, Rayner’s property portfolio includes not only the Hove flat but also a former family home in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester—now owned solely by her ex-husband after their divorce—and a grace-and-favour flat in Admiralty House, London, provided due to her ministerial role. Allies have clarified that her “primary residence” for council tax purposes remains her family home in Ashton-under-Lyne, though she no longer owns a stake in it. This, they argue, meant she was not subject to the higher stamp duty rate when buying the Hove flat.
However, the Tories have raised further questions about whether Rayner is paying the correct council tax on her official London residence. They argue that as a minister occupying an official residence, she should personally pay the council tax, citing the Ministerial Code. The Cabinet Office, for its part, responded that “as has been a longstanding principle, under successive administrations, where a minister occupies an official residence as a second home, the responsibility for payment of Council Tax falls to the government.” The BBC has reported that it approached both the Cabinet Office and Rayner’s team for further clarification on this point.
The pressure on Rayner has been compounded by a court order that currently restricts her from providing more detailed information regarding her property arrangements. According to No 10, “There is a court order which restricts her from providing further information, which she’s urgently working on rectifying in the interests of public transparency.” The details of the court order remain undisclosed, but it has prevented Rayner from directly addressing many of the allegations in the press.
Prime Minister Starmer has repeatedly and publicly defended his deputy. In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live on September 1, 2025, Starmer said, “Angela is Deputy PM of this country. That’s an incredible achievement. One of the things that drives me in politics is aspiration, opportunity. And Angela came from a very humble background, battled all sorts of challenges along the way, and there she is proudly — and I’m proud of her — as our deputy prime minister. Angela has had people briefing against her and talking her down over and over again. It’s a mistake, by the way.”
In a moment that quickly drew attention from commentators and social media, Starmer accidentally referred to Rayner as an “incredible Prime Minister” before correcting himself. He went on to say, “I’m proud of that and we should be proud as a country that Angela is our deputy prime minister. And that by the way will give I don’t know how many working class children, particularly girls, a real sense of aspiration.” Starmer’s official spokesman reiterated this support, stating, “Yes, the prime minister works closely with the deputy prime minister... on delivering on the public’s priorities.”
Rayner herself has not commented directly on the row due to the court order, but her allies have maintained she paid “the correct duty owed on the purchase, entirely properly and in line with all relevant requirements.” The Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, also weighed in, telling Times Radio, “Angela Rayner has been clear that she followed all the rules and requirements of her, that she has followed the rules completely. That is her position, that she has done everything that has been asked of her.” Phillipson further dismissed claims of hypocrisy, saying, “If an individual wants to buy a property, whether that individual is Angela Rayner or anybody else, they are entirely within their rights to spend their money as they choose.”
Meanwhile, the opposition has not let up. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch commented, “I think people would appreciate clarity from Angela Rayner. I don’t know the details of the house purchases, but the reason why people are asking, as they have been in my constituency, is that they’re worried about hypocrisy.” Shadow Cabinet minister Alex Burghart suggested that damaging information about Rayner’s tax affairs might even be coming from within Labour ranks, hinting at internal party tensions.
It’s a tangled affair, with critics pointing to possible inconsistencies in Rayner’s property declarations and allies insisting she’s followed every rule to the letter. The public, meanwhile, is left to watch as the story unfolds, with the outcome potentially hinging on the release of more information once the court order is lifted. For now, Starmer’s unwavering backing and Rayner’s silence—enforced by legal constraints—set the stage for what could be a defining test of transparency and trust for the Labour government.
As the political storm continues, the question remains whether this episode will fade as a partisan squabble or become a lasting issue for the government’s credibility on ethics and tax policy. All eyes are on the next move from both Rayner and her critics.
