Police drop investigation into Angela Rayner over council house row

Angela Rayner has been vindicated, Sir Keir Starmer mentioned on Tuesday after police dropped a probe into Tory allegations about her council home.

After months of investigation, Higher Manchester Police (GMP) mentioned the get together’s deputy chief will face no additional motion over claims she broke electoral regulation over her dwelling scenario a decade in the past.

She welcomed the information however blamed the saga on “determined techniques” by the Tories.

It was one other enormous enhance for Labour as the final election marketing campaign entered its sixth full day, with shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves promising to “lead probably the most pro-growth, probably the most pro-business Treasury that our nation has ever seen.”

As Labour positioned itself because the get together of enterprise, Rishi Sunak’s “triple-lock plus” promise to pensioners was dismissed by the Institute for Fiscal Research as a reversal of the Tories’ personal tax coverage.

The investigation into Ms Rayner adopted a grievance from Conservative deputy chairman James Daly over the 2015 sale of her council home in Stockport and whether or not she had offered false details about her important deal with throughout the 2010s.

She had confronted claims she broke electoral regulation, did not pay capital positive aspects tax, and falsely acquired a single-occupancy council tax low cost. However Stockport Council additionally mentioned on Tuesday that it will not be taking motion.

Ms Rayner had promised to resign if she was discovered to have dedicated a criminal offense.

A spokesperson for GMP mentioned the power had “accomplished an intensive, fastidiously thought-about and proportionate investigation,” including: “Now we have concluded that no additional police motion will likely be taken.”

HM Income and Customs wouldn’t touch upon particular person instances however it’s understood it has already appeared into the matter at Ms Rayner’s request and concluded there was no capital positive aspects tax legal responsibility.

Labour chief Sir Keir mentioned Ms Rayner “has been vindicated,” including: “I by no means doubted that Angela hadn’t accomplished something incorrect and now she’s been cleared by the police.”

Ms Rayner mentioned she was “grateful to all those that have stood by and supported me and my household”. She issued a press release saying: “Now we have seen the Conservative Get together use this playbook earlier than – reporting political opponents to the police throughout election campaigns to distract from their dire report.”

“The general public have had sufficient of those determined techniques from a Tory authorities with nothing else to say after 14 years of failure.”

Shadow well being secretary Wes Streeting beforehand hit out on the remedy of Ms Rayner. Talking solely to The Unbiased, he mentioned the entire saga made his “blood boil” and accused critics of attacking her as a result of “she is a working class success story”.

Questions on Ms Rayner’s dwelling preparations first surfaced following the publication of an unauthorised biography by former Tory deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft.

Within the ebook, the peer wrote that the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne purchased her former council home in Vicarage Street, Stockport in 2007 underneath the right-to-buy scheme. Her then husband was listed at one other deal with a few mile away, which was additionally purchased underneath the scheme.

In the identical 12 months as her wedding ceremony, Ms Rayner was reported to have re-registered the births of her two youngest youngsters, giving her deal with as the home through which her husband resided. Ms Rayner has insisted that Vicarage Street was her “principal property” regardless of her husband dwelling elsewhere on the time.

She has confronted questions on whether or not she ought to have paid capital positive aspects tax when her house was offered and whether or not she paid the correct quantity of council tax, whereas Mr Daly had alleged she might have made a false declaration about the place she was dwelling on the electoral register.

A Labour Get together spokesperson mentioned: “The police have now accomplished their investigation into claims made by the Conservative Get together deputy chairman and have concluded that no additional motion will likely be taken. Angela cooperated totally with the police investigation all through.

“Angela has all the time been clear that she was not accountable for capital positive aspects tax on the sale of the house she owned earlier than she was an MP, that she was correctly registered to vote, and paid the suitable council tax. She took professional tax and authorized recommendation which confirms this.

“This attracts a line underneath the matter.”

The Tories mentioned Ms Rayner “nonetheless hasn’t offered a proof” within the row over her dwelling preparations.

A spokesperson mentioned: “Because the tax professional and Labour Get together member Dan Neidle has mentioned, Rayner nonetheless hasn’t offered a proof. Sir Keir Starmer might simply clear this up by merely studying after which publishing the tax recommendation Labour claims will exonerate his under-fire deputy.”