Rayner vows to pay taxes owed in emotional Commons statement

Angela Rayner resigned from Government and as deputy leader of the Labour Party in September after it was found she had not paid enough stamp duty when buying a home in Brighton (PA/Peter Byrne) Peter Byrne

Angela Rayner vowed to pay any taxes owed over her home purchase as she delivered an emotional resignation statement to MPs. The former deputy prime minister said the situation had been "incredibly tough" on her family and pledged full cooperation with HMRC.

Rayner resigned in September after the Prime Minister's ethics adviser found she had breached the ministerial code over stamp duty payments on a Brighton home purchase. She had paid as much as £40,000 less in surcharge than required when buying the property in May.

Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister's ethics adviser, had found she "acted with integrity" over the issue despite the breach. Rayner had referred herself to the standards watchdog for investigation after admitting the underpayment.

Emotional Commons appearance

Rayner appeared visibly emotional as she addressed the Commons for the first time since stepping down. Her hands were shaking as she read her statement, and her voice cracked when referencing the Grenfell Tower fire survivors.

"The last few weeks have been incredibly tough on my family, with my personal life so much in the public eye," she told MPs. "But I've always believed in the highest standards of transparency and accountability, and it is what the public expects and it is the price we pay for the privilege of service."

Complex tax situation highlighted

The Ashton-under-Lyme MP explained that parents of disabled children with trusts who divorce face particularly complex tax positions. She hoped her situation would raise awareness among other families to avoid similar mistakes.

"There is no excuse not to pay taxes owed, and I will do so," Rayner stated. "This was an honestly made mistake, but when you make a mistake, you take responsibility."

Chancellor Rachel Reeves listened from the Government frontbench alongside Rayner's successors David Lammy and Housing Secretary Steve Reed. Bridget Phillipson, who is competing with Lucy Powell for Labour's deputy leadership to replace Rayner, was also present.

Calls for return to government

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has already called for Rayner's return to government, telling Labour's Liverpool conference: "We need her back." The statement comes as speculation grows about her political future.

Rayner recalled her 2015 maiden speech when first elected, emphasising how "working-class communities" remained central to her political decisions. She highlighted her role in developing the government's flagship Employment Rights Bill.

Personal journey referenced

The former deputy prime minister reflected on confounding expectations after becoming pregnant at 16. "People wrote me off, assumed that I would be on benefits the whole of my life. But I wanted to prove them wrong," she said.

"I know the power of politics to change lives because it changed my own," Rayner added. "I promised then to bring determination, commitment and my socialist values to this House while representing them, and I intend to continue to do so."

Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).