Rayner: I hope families learn from my tax ‘mistake’

Former deputy prime minister suggests others could be caught out by same ‘complex’ rules she broke daily Telegraph - Link Angela Rayner has said she hopes other families will learn from the “honestly made mistake” that allowed her to avoid a £40,000 tax bill.

The former deputy prime minister, who was forced to resign over the scandal, suggested others could be caught out by the same “complex” rules that she broke when purchasing her second home. Ms Rayner quit her government roles last month after The Telegraph revealed she underpaid stamp duty on her new £800,000 seaside flat in Hove, East Sussex. At first, her team was adamant that she had done nothing wrong, insisting she had paid all tax due. However, following sustained pressure from the media, she later admitted that she had made a “mistake” and had not paid the full amount of tax. Ms Rayner bought the Hove flat after selling a 25 per cent share of the family home in her Ashton-under-Lyne constituency for £162,500. The buyer of this share was a trust established for her disabled son, who was handed an NHS payout following problems during his birth. In her formal resignation speech in the Commons on Wednesday, Ms Rayner said: “Parents of a disabled child with a trust who divorce and seek different properties face a complex tax position. Rayner: I hope families learn from my tax ‘mistake’ Former deputy prime minister suggests others could be caught out by same ‘complex’ rules she broke Amy Gibbons Political Correspondent 22 October 2025 3:12pm BST Angela Rayner has said she hopes other families will learn from the “honestly made mistake” that allowed her to avoid a £40,000 tax bill. The former deputy prime minister, who was forced to resign over the scandal, suggested others could be caught out by the same “complex” rules that she broke when purchasing her second home. Ms Rayner quit her government roles last month after The Telegraph revealed she underpaid stamp duty on her new £800,000 seaside flat in Hove, East Sussex. At first, her team was adamant that she had done nothing wrong, insisting she had paid all tax due. However, following sustained pressure from the media, she later admitted that she had made a “mistake” and had not paid the full amount of tax. Ms Rayner bought the Hove flat after selling a 25 per cent share of the family home in her Ashton-under-Lyne constituency for £162,500. The buyer of this share was a trust established for her disabled son, who was handed an NHS payout following problems during his birth. In her formal resignation speech in the Commons on Wednesday, Ms Rayner said: “Parents of a disabled child with a trust who divorce and seek different properties face a complex tax position. “If there is one good thing, Mr Speaker, that can come out of this, I hope that other families in this situation may now be aware of that and avoid getting into the position that I am now in.” She also said it had been an “incredibly tough” few weeks for her family, with her personal life in the public eye. However, she vowed to keep fighting for her constituents by sticking to her “socialist values”. Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s independent adviser on ministers’ interests, said Ms Rayner had breached the ministerial code because she failed to meet the “highest possible standards of proper conduct”. Months after selling her share of the family home, Ms Rayner purchased the £800,000 flat in Hove through local estate agent Sam Ranger of Mishons. She told HMRC the flat was her primary home for stamp duty purposes, meaning she paid about £30,000 in tax, rather than the £70,000 owed for a second home. However, because her son was under 18, she still technically had an interest in her Ashton property and should therefore have paid the full £70,000. Reflecting on the scandal, Ms Rayner told the Commons that she would co-operate with HMRC and pay all taxes due. “I am, of course, corresponding with HMRC, and they have my full cooperation,” she said. “There is no excuse not to pay taxes owed, and I will do so. This was an honestly made mistake, but when you make a mistake, you take responsibility.” The MP, whose hands were shaking as she read her statement, said: “The last few weeks have been incredibly tough on my family, with my personal life so much in the public eye. “All of us in public life know all too well the toll of the intense scrutiny we face places on our loved ones. “But I’ve always believed in the highest standards of transparency and accountability, and it is what the public expects and it is the price we pay for the privilege of service.” Ms Rayner pledged to “fight with everything I have” to change the lives of others, whether that is from the frontbench or the backbench. She thanked those she worked with in Government, including ministers, political staff and civil servants, as well as members of the public who made contact.