Angela Rayner’s resignation – what you need to knowpublished at 08:11 BST
08:11 BST
Image source, EPA/Shutterstock
Labour’s deputy leadership election was triggered by Angela Rayner’s resignation.
Why did she step down?
Rayner resigned on 5 September after admitting she underpaid stamp duty on her £800,000 flat in Hove.
She faced mounting pressure after reports emerged that she had saved £40,000 in stamp duty on the flat by not paying the higher rate reserved for buying additional homes.
At the time she held three positions in government – deputy leader, deputy prime minister and housing secretary. She resigned from all three.
Rayner admitted she should have paid the higher rate of stamp duty, but denied trying to “dodge tax”.
She maintained that the initial legal advice she received failed to “properly take account” of her personal circumstances – here’s a closer look at how the flat row unfolded.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer stood by her.
The prime minister’s ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, said she breached the ministerial code by failing to get tax advice when buying a new house.
In her resignation letter to Starmer, Rayner wrote: “I deeply regret my decision to not seek additional specialist tax advice given both my position as housing secretary and my complex family arrangements.”
Earlier this week, Rayner told the Commons in her resignation speech that it was an “honest mistake” and she was was “corresponding with the HMRC” over the right amount of tax she must pay.