Angela Rayner resigns as UK Deputy Prime Minister over stamp duty controversy

Angela Rayner has stepped down as the United Kingdom’s deputy prime minister following revelations that she underpaid stamp duty on a property purchase.

Rayner, who also held the posts of housing secretary and deputy leader of the Labour Party, announced her resignation on Friday in a letter, taking “full responsibility” for the error.

The Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne was found to have underpaid £40,000 in stamp duty on an £800,000 flat in Hove, East Sussex, after declaring the property as her main residence rather than a second home. The declaration significantly reduced her tax bill.

Earlier this week, Angela Rayner referred herself to the government’s independent ethics adviser, who concluded that while she acted in “good faith and with honesty,” she had not met the highest standards required of ministers. The report further stated that she “did not heed the caution” of legal advice given at the time of purchase.

In her resignation statement, Angela Rayner acknowledged the findings and said she “deeply regrets” not seeking specialist tax advice, particularly given her ministerial role and what she described as her “complex personal situation.”

“I have long believed that people who serve the British public in government must always observe the highest standards,” she said. “While the Independent Adviser has concluded 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.”