Angela Rayner under police investigation for 'multiple allegations' connected to council house row

16 April 2024, 22:42 | Updated: 17 April 2024, 10:01

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner is under police investigation for 'multiple allegations' connected to her council house row - not just whether she broke electoral law.

At least a dozen Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers are investigating Ms Rayner over claims she gave the wrong information about her main residence 10 years ago.

The probe was launched after deputy Tory chairman James Daly made a complaint to GMP.

Ms Rayner claimed to have been living primarily in her own home but neighbours said she was living with her husband instead.

Under electoral law, parliamentary candidates have to be registered to vote at their permanent address.

Police are now said to be looking into 'tax matters and other issues' as part of their investigation, according to the Times.

A source told the paper: “It’s very well resourced, it’s not a single issue. There is a volume of material and a clear public interest to fully investigate.”

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GMP Chief Constable Stephen Watson said on Tuesday that there were "a number of assertions knocking about" and his officers were "going to get to the bottom of what has happened".

It comes after Ms Rayner said she would resign if convicted of breaking electoral law but insisted she took both legal and tax advice and believed she had done nothing wrong.

"If I committed a criminal offence, I would of course do the right thing and step down," she said.

"The British public deserves politicians who know the rules apply to them."

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has backed Ms Rayner over the row, saying he does not need to see the advice.

Addressing the investigation at the weekend, a spokesman for Ms Rayner said: “Angela has always made clear she also spent time at her husband’s property when they had children and got married, as he did at hers.

"The house she owned remained her main home.

"Angela looks forward to sitting down with the appropriate authorities, including the police and HMRC, to set out the facts and draw a line under this matter."