Categories
AFNewsNG Logo
Politics Special Report

Angela Rayner Quits As UK Deputy PM In Stamp Duty Scandal, Dealing Blow To Starmer, Labour

Thompson Nsisongabasi

Sep 05, 2025

mail
Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has resigned after it emerged she failed to pay the correct amount of property tax on a recently purchased apartment, UK media reported Friday - a scandal that has shaken the Labour government and plunged Prime Minister Keir Starmer into fresh political turmoil.

READ ALSO: Yusuf Buhari Declares Interest In House Of Representatives Seat -

Rayner, who also served as Housing Minister, admitted underpaying stamp duty on an ┬ú800,000 property in Hove, on England's southern coast, after receiving what she called "poor legal advice.ÔÇØ Instead of paying the higher second-home rate of about ┬ú70,000, she paid only ┬ú30,000. She insisted the error was unwitting and linked to her sale of a stake in her Manchester home, which she placed in a trust for her children, funded by a medical award after her premature son was left with life-long disabilities.

READ ALSO: Why Adegboruwa Calls for Immediate Suspension of Nationwide Protests |READ FULL

"I acted in good faith,ÔÇØ she said, but her explanation failed to stem a growing storm. Opposition parties and right-wing tabloids branded her a hypocrite, citing her history of savaging Conservative ministers over tax and sleaze scandals. The row quickly spiralled, becoming a national scandal that made her position untenable.

READ ALSO: It's unjust to make Nigerians bare brunt of fuel subsidy removal-TUC tells Tinubu

Starmer initially defended his deputy but his support weakened by the day, particularly with Labour grappling with a housing crisis and floating tax rises - including on property. Critics said standing by Rayner had become politically impossible.

READ ALSO: CAMA : The Government That Will Change The Board Of Trustees In My Church Has Not Yet Been Born - Apostle Suleiman

Her resignation robs Labour of one of its most talented and recognisable figures. Known for her plainspoken style, working-class roots and strong northern accent, Rayner had been a rare unifying force within Labour's often fractious ranks. Raised in poverty on the outskirts of Manchester, she became a mother at 16, trained as a carer, and rose through the trade union movement before entering Parliament.

READ ALSO: Defection: Governor Ayade Gifts SUVs To Rep Members For Defecting To APC | SEE PHOTOS

Her earthy, unpolished persona stood in sharp contrast to Starmer's lawyerly reserve. Young voters in particular admired her "realness,ÔÇØ whether she was filmed dancing at Pride, partying in Ibiza, or vaping in an inflatable canoe off Brighton beach.

READ ALSO: Olawepo-Hashim Resigns From PDP, Vows To Resist One Party State -

But her seaside lifestyle also became her downfall. The Hove apartment at the centre of the scandal crystallised public anger at a time when Labour is under intense scrutiny on housing.

READ ALSO: Thanks - Maryam Shetty reacts to her nomination withdrawal

Although some tax experts offered sympathy - Dan Neidle of Tax Policy Associates called the UK's stamp duty system "beyond messyÔÇØ and said mistakes were easy to make - many noted Rayner's past attacks on Tory ministers over their own tax affairs. In 2018 she accused then-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt of "sleazeÔÇØ for exploiting a "Tory tax loopholeÔÇØ on property, and later demanded the resignation of former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi over his ┬ú5 million tax settlement.

READ ALSO: Benue North-East: I will be running for Senate in 2027 - Suswam

Her fall adds to Labour's mounting woes. Despite winning a landslide election in July 2024, the party has been haemorrhaging support to the insurgent, anti-immigration Reform UK, which now leads national polls and was holding its conference in Birmingham on Friday. Analysts note that, while Rayner's resignation removes Starmer's most obvious rival inside Labour, it caps a dismal summer for the Prime Minister as he fights to hold his party together amid plunging popularity.

READ ALSO: Mobile Court to try COVID 19 offenders inaugurated in Abia State

Boluwatife Enome

READ ALSO: ADC Crisis: Nwosu Links INEC Decision to Jagaban Politics | READ WHY

Follow us on:

Related Stories

""

— Thompson Nsisongabasi

Join the Conversation

Signed in as Member