Labour deputy Angela Rayner denies wrongdoing as police reassess claims she broke electoral law
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has strongly denied any wrongdoing as police reassess claims she broke electoral law over the sale of her ex-council house
The shadow housing secretary and Ashton-under-Lyne MP has faced questions about whether she paid the right amount of tax on the sale of her former home due to confusion over whether it was her principal residency.
It comes after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said it was reassessing its decision not to investigate allegations she gave false information on official documents, after pressure from Conservative Party deputy chairman James Daly.
Officers had previously said she would not face an investigation over claims she gave false information about where she was living for the electoral roll, on 12 March.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain, she told hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley: “I'm confident and very clear that I haven't done anything wrong and this is a smear campaign that's designed to distract from the 14 years of Conservative chaos.
"Of course, we've just got the announcement this morning that we're now in a recession.
"So, not only has the government failed in their promise to grow the economy, but we're now in a recession and working people are paying the price.”
When asked by Madeley what home she was registered at on the electoral roll, Ms Rayner said, “It was my home, which is one that I owned, and it was all exactly as it should have been.”
“I got expert tax advice that says I don't owe any capital gains tax. As I've said, all of my living arrangements, all of my tax arrangements, are all in order and I've not broken any rules or done anything wrong.”
"If there was a mistake, I would have said, ‘I've made a mistake’ because capital gains tax and principal private residences are quite complex.
"But as I say, I've had expert tax advice and I haven't gamed the system, I haven't owed any capital gains tax and I haven't done anything wrong.
"So, it's a smear campaign for the conservatives to hide away from their 14 years of disaster of being in government.”
On whether she’s confident the police investigation is going to end in nothing, Angela said, “Absolutely."
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “We have received a complaint regarding our decision not to investigate an allegation and are in the process of reassessing this decision.
“The complainant will be updated with the outcome of the reassessment in due course.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has publicly backed his deputy, telling his party’s local election campaign launch in the West Midlands on Thursday: “Angela has my full support and my full confidence today and every day.”
He also said: “She has not broken any rules, she has in fact taken legal and tax advice which has satisfied her, and us, and me about the position.”
Asked if Ms Rayner would be publishing her legal advice, Sir Keir said she was willing to share information with the relevant authorities, adding: “But should she publish legal tax advice? No she shouldn’t.
“Where does this end? Are you going to be calling for Tory ministers to publish their legal and tax advice going back over the last 15 years? That is where this ends.”
Labour frontbencher Lisa Nandy said the party would “respect the process” as she backed Ms Rayner.
“The police originally closed the investigation. I understand they’ve reopened it because a Conservative MP has asked them to do so,” she told Times Radio.
“And you know, as we always have when these sorts of allegations are made, we comply with the processes.”
Ms Nandy continued that Ms Rayner has “been very clear that she has taken legal advice, she’s taken tax advice and that no rules have been broken”.
“She called the allegations a smear,” Ms Nandy added.
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