PM says he 'will act' on standards probe into Rayner tax row

SIR Keir Starmer yesterday declined to say if he will sack his deputy, Angela Rayner, should an investigation find she broke the ministerial code after she admitted to underpaying tax on a new property.

- NINA LLOYD, SOPHIE WINGATE, DAVID LYNCH, CHRISTOPHER MCKEON and JOE HADDEN

The Prime Minister said “of course” he will act on the findings of his independent standards adviser following Ms Rayner's acknowledgement that she did not pay enough stamp duty ona flat she bought in Hove this year.

But he would not be drawn on whether he would fire his deputy, who is also the Housing Secretary, if Sir Laurie Magnus finds that a breach of ministerial rules took place.

In an interview with the BBC, he said: “There’s a clear procedure. I strengthened that procedure. I am expecting a result pretty quickly. I do want it to be comprehensive... and then of course I will act on whatever the report is that’s put in front of me.”

Ms Rayner has been under mounting pressure in recent weeks after reports emerged she had saved £40,000 in stamp duty on a property purchase in Hove by not paying the higher rate reserved for additional home purchases.

She referred herself to independent adviser Sir Laurie and said she made a “mistake” in paying the standard rate, based on legal advice she received at the time.

Sir Keir and his Cabinet have rallied round the Deputy Prime Minister amid opposition calls for her to resign over the error, with the Prime Minister and Chancellor Rachel Reeves both expressing “full confidence” in her.

Downing Street previously refused to say when Sir Keir was first made aware of key details that led his deputy to refer herself for an ethics investigation, but the Prime Minister yesterday insisted it was only once she received the final legal advice on Wednesday morning.

He was asked on the BBC whether he knew at the time of publicly defending Ms Rayner on Monday that she had sought additional legal advice, which came to the conclusion that she should have paid more tax.