Angela Rayner is going through contemporary allegations that she tried to keep away from paying a council tax surcharge on her grace-and-favour flat throughout her time as housing secretary.
The previous deputy prime minister has come below renewed scrutiny after new questions had been raised over her residency at Admiralty Home.
The Conservatives have written to Sir Keir Starmer and Sir Laurie Magnus, his ethics adviser, alleging that Angela Rayner didn’t pay the proper council tax on her grace-and-favour residence at Admiralty Home.
Ministers insisted as just lately as 28 April that Rayner’s “council tax accountability was correctly discharged”. However Labour-run Westminster Metropolis Council launched a 100% surcharge on second houses from 1 April – which means the £2,034 invoice on her Whitehall flat ought to have doubled.
Westminster Council was not notified that the Admiralty Home condominium was Rayner’s second residence till early Might, greater than a month after the premium took impact. A retrospective one-off cost was made in late July, however solely following Conservative Parliamentary Questions.
The Conservatives say the timeline contradicts ministerial assurances given all through April and Might and declare that Parliament was misled.
The federal government is answerable for paying council tax on grace and favour properties, that are ministers’ second houses.
However the Conservatives have argued that Rayner, who on the time was the cupboard minister answerable for council tax coverage, had a private accountability to make sure the council tax was paid below the ministerial code.
The code states: “The place a minister is allotted an official residence, they need to make sure that all private tax liabilities, together with any council tax, are correctly discharged and that they personally pay such liabilities.”
Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservative Social gathering chairman, stated: “This new proof confirms what we now have lengthy suspected: Angela Rayner didn’t pay the council tax she was responsible for, broke the ministerial code and led to ministers deceptive Parliament within the course of.
“Having already didn’t pay £40,000 in stamp responsibility and now didn’t correctly discharge her council tax invoice, there can by no means be a route again into authorities for Angela Rayner. She should additionally pay again her £17,000 golden goodbye she acquired after resigning.
“All this at a time when Labour are hitting households with greater council tax payments. It’s merely indefensible that one in all their most senior figures prevented paying her personal.”
A supply near Rayner advised the press: “The federal government is answerable for liaising with Westminster metropolis council and administering council tax on Admiralty Home, not Angela, and there’s no suggestion she did something aside from correctly discharge her personal duties as and when required.”
A authorities spokesman stated: “Because the property was a second residence, the Authorities was answerable for paying the council tax on Admiralty Home, not the previous deputy prime minister, consistent with long-standing precedent below successive governments.
“The federal government property company paid the complete quantity as quickly because the bill was acquired from Westminster council.”
Rayner resigned as deputy prime minister and housing secretary in September.
EYE NEWSFLASH: Angela Rayner resigns from authorities over tax affairs
