"Keir Starmer does not want to lose Angela Rayner, and his defence of her in the Commons yesterday was a lot more robust than usual for a PM commenting on a minister who has self-referred to the ethics adviser, but Starmer does not have total control over what is going to happen. Quite a lot of the facts are not in the public domain, and may not be known to Starmer himself"
"Rayner was told on Monday that her original assumption about how much stamp duty she had to pay on the flat she bought in Hove might be wrong. In controversies like this, who knew what, when?' always becomes a key issue and yesterday Downing Street ducked questions about when Keir Starmer first learned there was a problem. Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, was giving interviews this morning, and she was more forthcoming about when Rayner was told there was a problem."
Angela Rayner has self-referred to the ethics adviser over potential stamp duty miscalculation on a Hove flat. Key factual details remain unclear, including the exact tax advice Rayner received and what she disclosed to advisers. Sir Laurie Magnus, the ethics adviser, is investigating and is expected to report within days, leaving the government in temporary limbo. Keir Starmer publicly defended Rayner in the Commons but cannot fully control the outcome of the adviser’s conclusions. Bridget Phillipson indicated Rayner was informed on Monday that her original stamp duty assumption might be wrong.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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