Rayner: I'll resign if police find I committed an offence

Angela Rayner has promised to step down if police find she committed a criminal offence in the ongoing row over the sale of her council house a decade ago.

- KATE DEVLIN

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is looking into claims she gave false information about where she was living, which she denies.

Ms Rayner insists the controversy over whether she should have paid capital gains tax on the sale has been “manufactured,” and has accused the Conservatives of attempting to “smear” her. “I am completely confident I’ve followed the rules at all times,” she said in a statement last night.

“We have seen the Tory party use this playbook before – reporting political opponents to the police during election campaigns to distract from their record. I will say as I did before – if I committed a criminal offence, I would of course do the right thing and step down. The British public deserves politicians who know the rules apply to them.”

The police investigation came as Rishi Sunak suffered his own setback, with the resignation of a third minister in as many weeks. Energy minister Graham Stuart said he would “fully support” the prime minister from the backbenches but wanted to focus on issues in his constituency instead.