Angela Rayner acquired a seaside flat in Hove, East Sussex, for more than 700,000 that is subject to the 100% council tax premium on second homes introduced in April, and she now pays the premium in full. The Tories, including James Cleverly, accused her of hypocrisy and demanded clarity over whether she has been paying the premium on Admiralty House and whether she claimed a single-person discount. Cleverly said she admitted paying the premium on the Hove flat but would not confirm payments for Admiralty House. Labour sources dismissed the criticism as political opportunism, highlighted Cleverly’s record, and said Rayner’s housing reflected job demands rather than tax avoidance. Rayner had rented in London and ended that lease months ago, and shadow transport secretary Richard Holden also commented in support.
The Tories, including Cleverly, have accused the deputy prime minister of hypocrisy, pointing to her role in pushing through those tax rules and demanding clarity over whether she had been paying the premium and whether she claimed a single-person discount on her Admiralty House flat, the property that came with her ministerial position at the beginning of this year.
James Cleverly has some brass neck, a Labour source said. Unlike him, Angela has never been a landlord or owned a property in London. The second homes premium was introduced by the Tory government while James Cleverly was home secretary, and he supported it at every stage. Angela takes her council tax obligations seriously and she meets them in full.
A source close to Rayner said her housing arrangements reflected her job demands, not tax avoidance. They said the nature of her role meant she had often had to be in and around London for over a decade, but she had always rented a flat for that purpose, adding that she had actually ended the lease on her privately rented flat in London some months ago.
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