UK's deputy leader faces calls to resign after admitting not paying enough property tax

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LONDON (AP) — Angela Rayner, the deputy British prime minister, faced calls to resign on Wednesday after she admitted to not paying enough tax on a home purchase.

Following weeks of press speculation regarding the tax paid on her purchase of an apartment in Hove, on England's south coast, Rayner said she has referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards and that she has considered resigning.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer offered his support to Rayner as opposition lawmakers, including Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, demanded that she should quit or be sacked.

In a statement, Rayner said a leading tax counsel had informed her she had received inaccurate advice when making the 800,000-pound purchase ($1 million) earlier this summer.

Rayner said she “deeply regrets the error” and is “committed to resolving this matter fully and providing the transparency that public service demands.”

In the U.K., levies are charged on property purchases, with higher charges due on more expensive homes and secondary residences. Reports have suggested that Rayner saved 40,000 pounds by not paying the appropriate levy, known as a stamp duty.

A clearly emotional Rayner told Sky News that complications regarding “complex living arrangements” were stoked by her divorce in 2023 and by the fact that her son has “life-long disabilities."

“I’ve been in shock, really, because I thought I’d done everything properly, and I relied on the advice that I received and I’m devastated because I’ve always upheld the rules and always have felt proud to do that,” she said.

Rayner, who holds the housing brief in the Labour government and has forged a reputation as one of its most forthright speakers, has often railed against those who deliberately underpay tax, particularly those in the preceding Conservative administration, which Labour replaced in July 2024.

Starmer defended his deputy during weekly prime minister's questions in Parliament, adding that he was “very proud to sit alongside” Rayner.