"Sir Keir said he would "of course act" on the conclusions of Sir Laurie's report which he expected to be "comprehensive" and delivered quickly but would not be drawn on whether Rayner would be fired. Sir Keir rejected a comparison with Boris Johnson, who as prime minister did not sack Priti Patel as his home secretary despite the then-adviser, Sir Alex Allen, saying she had broken the ministerial code."
"Sir Laurie can advise on whether ministers have adhered to the code, but the prime minister decides what if any action to take. Asked about the forthcoming report, Sir Keir said: "I do think in the end we need to establish the facts, which the independent advisor will do and come to a conclusion. "I don't think it'll take long now for that bit of process to conclude and then, of course, it does fall to me."
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has refused to say whether he will dismiss Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner if the independent standards adviser concludes she breached the ministerial code. Rayner referred herself to Sir Laurie Magnus after admitting she underpaid stamp duty on an £800,000 flat in Hove. Rayner said the underpayment was a mistake caused by incorrect legal advice that failed to properly take account of her circumstances. Sir Keir said he would act on the adviser’s conclusions, expected the report to be comprehensive and delivered quickly, and rejected comparisons with Boris Johnson’s handling of Priti Patel. The ministerial code requires honesty and integrity, Sir Laurie can advise, and the prime minister decides any action. Rayner’s team initially said she had paid the right amount and then sought further legal review.
Read at www.bbc.com
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