ISLAMABAD: In a major development in the United Kingdom, Angela Rayner stepped down as the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary following a controversy over unpaid stamp duty tax on a property she owns, BBC reported.
Rayner’s resignation followed an ethics investigation, which concluded with findings submitted to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
She confessed this week to having underpaid stamp duty on her seaside flat in Hove, a seaside resort in East Sussex, England, valued at £800,000. She said she regretted the “error” and offered deepest apology.
The issue arose after it was revealed that the property should have been classified as a second home, attracting a higher tax rate.
Rayner had earlier stated that incorrect advice from her lawyers caused the mistake – a statement contradicted by her legal team. According to the BBC, the unpaid stamp duty could be as much as £40,000.
The scandal put the Starmer government under pressure amid declining popularity and challenges from opposition parties.
The issue sparked public outrage, with vandals spray-painting “tax evader” outside Rayner’s Hove apartment, now under police investigation.
Senior Labour leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves, had earlier expressed support for Rayner. However, Conservative politician Kemi Badenoch criticized the delay in her dismissal, calling it a sign of Starmer’s “weakness.”
This political shake-up comes as the UK government grapples with internal challenges and a shifting political landscape.