Peter Kyle, Labour MP for Hove and Portslade, praised the now former deputy prime minister after she was forced to resign due to not paying enough stamp duty in her purchase of a £800,000 flat in Hove.
Mr Kyle said: “Angela Rayner is someone who’s dedicated her life to making Britain a place where everyone can succeed.
“Let us remember that she is the embodiment of social mobility and an inspiration to many people and many young women, in particular.
“Having been told she’d never amount to anything, she proved everyone wrong.
“Because of her millions will have a secure job and a safe home to live in and I am proud to call her a friend.
“I have great admiration for her and a huge respect for her achievements.”
The deputy prime minister resigned from government, and has been replaced by new justice secretary David Lammy, following an investigation into her tax affairs by Sir Keir Starmer’s independent standards adviser.
Ethics watchdog Sir Laurie Magnus said Ms Rayner had “acted with integrity and with a dedicated and exemplary commitment to public service” but concluded she breached the ministerial code after she underpaid stamp duty on her seaside flat in Hove.
Ms Rayner, who was also the Housing Secretary, paid £40,000 less on the £800,000 property than she should have, as she claimed it was her main home rather than a second home.
In a resignation letter on Friday, Ms Rayner said: “I have long believed that people who serve the British public in government must always observe the highest standards, and while the Independent Adviser has concluded that I acted in good faith and with honesty and integrity throughout, I accept that I did not meet the highest standards in relation to my recent property purchase.
“I would like to take this opportunity to repeat that it was never my intention to do anything other than pay the right amount.”
Ms Rayner also came under criticism from the leader of the Brighton and Hove Conservative Group, Councillor Alistair McNair.
He said that now that the former deputy prime minister has “rightly resigned” she will have more time on her hands to “enjoy the delights of Hove” or advise the local Labour Party.
He said: “While I’m pleased socialist Rayner saw the capitalist light and decided to boost the flagging property market in Hove, she should have been spending her time in her own constituency.
“You’d think someone with her experience would know this. The deputy prime minister didn’t last long, did she?
“Elected on a platform to ‘clean up’ politics, Rayner has proved to be amongst the dodgiest of MPs herself – what reputation she had amongst her supporters must lie in tatters.
“Angela got caught out on housing tax, but remember she’s also had £1000s in freebies too since being in government.
“She was always quick to blame – what goes around comes around, and rightly in her case. MPs make the laws – if they can’t follow them, who can? “Should she even remain an MP? And now Rachel Reeves is expected to introduce new taxes on housing to fill her own black hole.
“I look forward to seeing how popular Labour’s new tax measures are after Angela was unwilling to pay them herself.”
Source link
[Featured]
[Just In]
