Keir Starmer has 'full confidence' in Angela Rayner amid row over house sale
28 March 2024, 11:30 | Updated: 28 March 2024, 12:47
Keir Starmer says he has "full confidence" in Angela Rayner and has backed her amid an ongoing row over the sale of her house.
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Ms Rayner insisted she did “absolutely nothing wrong” and rejected claims she may have owed capital gains tax on the sale of the former council property in Stockport.
On Wednesday, Ms Rayner said she wouldn't publish tax advice she received on the sale of the house back in 2015.
Ms Rayner said she would only release the "personal" information if the Conservatives calling for her to do so publish theirs.
It comes as Greater Manchester Police said it is "reassessing" its decision not to investigate the allegations following a complaint from a Conservative MP.
On Thursday, the Labour leader said Angela has "my full support and my full confidence today and everyday as we work together" as he spoke at the local elections campaign launch in Dudley.
He added Angela has answered "I don't know how many questions about this".
"She's not broken any rules - she's, in fact, taken legal and tax advice that has satisfied her and us and me."
He added the Tory party is "spending more of its time and energy pursuing this issue rather than answering the question of accountability of what they've done over 14 years... tells you everything you need to know about them".
Asked by a journalist whether Ms Rayner should publish the legal and tax advice she has received, Sir Keir said Ms Rayner is "very happy to provide" any information to any authorities that want it, but added that she "shouldn't" publish her personal advice.
Read more: Labour 'vows to do more on housing in six months than last six years of Tories' says Angela Rayner
James Daly, the Tory deputy chairman, wrote to the force to accuse them of failing to carry out a full investigation into whether Ms Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, broke the law a decade ago.
The issue revolves around the amount of tax Ms Rayner should have paid when she sold her home back in 2015.
The main question is whether she should have been liable for capital gains tax based on her primary residence at the time.
Greater Manchester Police said a detective chief inspector had been assigned to reconsider the case.
