'Angela didn't fit the narrative maybe that

Whether it's her accent, hair colour, fashion choices, or her past, Angela Rayner has been a divisive figure in the government.

- By HELENA VESTY

Yesterday, in the MP's constituency of Ashton-under-Lyne, all those characteristics were up for conversation - but not debate.

The very-recently-former deputy Prime Minister should face the consequences if she has broken the law, Tameside voters said.

But in the hour after news broke that Ms Rayner would no longer hold the second-most senior office in the country, most of the people the Manchester Evening News spoke to agreed on one thing: The ‘knives have been out from the start’ for the woman from Stockport who has, willingly or not, become a polemic politician.

Her resignation on Friday (September 5) kickstarted a major cabinet reshuffle after an investigation found she breached the ministerial code over her tax affairs.

The row over her tax escalated in recent days over the Ashton-under-Lyne MP's purchase of an £800,000 seaside apartment in Hove, East Sussex.

The Labour MP admitted failing to pay £40,000 in stamp duty, prompting an independent investigation into her tax affairs.

Today, a report by ethics watchdog Sir Laurie Magnus said she did breach the ministerial code. However it added Ms Rayner had ‘acted with integrity and with a dedicated and exemplary commitment to public service’.