Angela Rayner resigns: "Live by the sword, die by the sword"
ANGELA Rayner has resigned as Deputy PM and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, following her failure to pay sufficient stamp duty on a flat she purchased. Business owners have said the outcome was "arguably inevitable", with one suggesting the Chancellor is also unlikely to last until Christmas. Another, however, said it is “refreshing to see the speed at which this has been investigated and resolved”.
Tony Redondo, Founder at Newquay-based Cosmos Currency Exchange commented: "Live by the sword, die by the sword. Angela Rayner has always been very quick to call for ministers like Nadhim Zahawi, Amber Rudd, and even Boris and Rishi in the previous Tory governments to quit.
“This morning, she was found in breach of the ministerial code by ethics watchdog Sir Laurie Magnus and has jumped before she was pushed out by Starmer. The problem for Starmer is that she will be a danger to him from the backbenches. The speed at which this Labour government is falling apart is breathtaking. I think you will get very short odds on Reeves enjoying Christmas drinks at Number 11.”
Laura Purkess, Personal Finance Expert at Investing Insiders, said it was the right thing to do.
She added: "Rayner has been a critic of tax avoidance in the past and was quick to call Zahawi's position 'untenable' when his tax errors came to light, and in this instance, she has been found to have made a mistake with her own affairs, leading to her avoiding a hefty tax bill. It can't be one rule for thee and not for me.
"Rayner said she was relying on advice from others, but her conveyancer has since said it did not give her tax advice and isn't qualified to do so. Acting on advice from others is also not a fail-safe defence, particularly if it didn't come from specialists in that area.
“It serves as a reminder that those in senior positions in government need to be ultra-careful about their financial affairs and act as they would want their constituents to.”
Riz Malik, Director at Southend-on-Sea-based R3 Wealth, said the Deputy PM had lost all credibility: “There was no way she could have stayed in her role. She had lost all credibility. She breached the code and was not fit to be in charge of housing or carry the number 2 spot in the country. Reeves next.”
Oli Garnett, Co-Founder at Bristol-based Something Familiar. commented: “Angela Rayner resigning over stamp duty is the most British political scandal imaginable. Forget offshore accounts or dodgy donors, our Deputy PM has basically been done in by the world’s dullest tax. Live by the sword, die by the SDLT return. The irony, of course, is that she built her brand calling out other people’s “untenable” positions. Turns out the only thing more brutal than Labour infighting is HMRC with a calculator.”
Scott Gallacher, Director at Leicester-based Rowley Turton commented: “This was arguably inevitable. You can’t have the Housing Minister appear to dodge Stamp Duty. While the error is understandable, and one many people could have made, she should have exercised greater care and sought specialist advice rather than relying on a standard conveyancer.”
Mary Maguire, Managing Director at Derby-based Astute Recruitment Ltd commented: "'What cannot be repaired is not to be regretted'. Samuel Johnson's quote sums up Rayner's departure beautifully."
Rob Mansfield, Independent Financial Advisor at Rootes Wealth Management commented: “Having been so outspoken on other people needing to follow the rules, she needed to make sure was squeaky clean. It was refreshing to see the speed at which this has been investigated and resolved. Hopefully now it lets the government concentrate on building the houses we need.”
Samuel Mather-Holgate, Independent Financial Adviser at Swindon-based Mather and Murray Financial, said the government is now “enveloped” in sleaze and scandals: “First the Chancellor delays the Budget as she asks to hand her homework in late because she doesn’t know the answers. Now, the Housing Minister gets caught fiddling her figures. The days of sleaze and scandals have enveloped Starmer's government quicker than Nadine Dorries finds a stage at a Reform conference.”
Patricia McGirr, Founder at Burnley-based Repossession Rescue Network, added: “The wheels have come off along with the facade that Ms Rayner made an error in good faith. Ethics in politics? The public are no longer fooled by the rhetoric being spouted from Westminster.
"The question remains. What next for a Labour government beset by incompetence and scandal? There’s been more spin on this than even Alastair Campbell could have mustered in his heyday.”
