Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner after she admitted underpaying tax on her second home.
Rayner confirmed reports that she failed to pay the full tax owed on her Hove property, a shortfall estimated at £40,000. The Labour deputy leader has since referred herself to the government’s ethics adviser and said she had even considered resigning.
Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions, Ms Badenoch challenged Sir Keir:
“She has admitted she underpaid tax. So why is she still in office?”
She accused Starmer of hypocrisy, saying: “I’m not sure we’d hear all that sympathy if it was a Conservative Deputy Prime Minister. If he had a backbone, he would sack her.”
Sir Keir defended his deputy, praising her for asking a court to lift an order that had previously prevented her from disclosing details of her financial and family arrangements.
“She’s gone over and above,” he said. “I’m very proud to have her as my deputy.”
The shadow housing secretary, James Cleverly also attacked Rayner, claiming her credibility is in tatters and accusing Starmer of weakness.
In an interview with the media, Rayner said she had believed she had acted correctly and was devastated to learn otherwise. She explained that confidentiality orders had been in place to protect her vulnerable son and her family, which had limited what she could reveal until now.
“I’ve always upheld the rules and felt proud to do that,” she said. “This has been a distressing time for my family, but I wanted the order lifted so I could be transparent and provide the full picture.”
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