As the police confirmed they are investigating multiple allegations about Ms Rayner’s former council house, the Labour leader accused the PM himself of having used “schemes to avoid millions of pounds in tax”.
Confronting Mr Sunak at Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said: “We’ve got a billionaire prime minister and a billionaire colleague [Lord Ashcroft], both of whose families have used schemes to avoid millions of pounds in tax, smearing a workingclass woman.” The PM had urged Sir Keir to spend less time reading Liz Truss’s new book and more looking into his deputy’s tax advice.
The exchange came as a former Tory minister joined high-profile figures defending Ms Rayner in the deepening row over the sale of her former council home. Amid ongoing questions about whether she avoided paying the right tax or had correctly registered at the correct address, Nick Boles, who was an MP for nine years, said the attacks were “one of the most grotesque spectacles of hypocrisy I have ever witnessed”.
Former Conservative MP Matthew Parris also condemned what he called “the hounding” of the Labour MP, dubbing it “outrageous: brutal, snobbish and completely out of proportion to any mistake she may (or may not) have made”. Ex-regional chief crown prosecutor Nazir Afzal also said that “based on what’s in the public domain”, the CPS would take no action against Ms Rayner.
This story is from the April 18, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 18, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
US And UK Urge Hamas To Accept 'Generous' Israeli Ceasefire Deal Over Gaza
The US and UK have urged Hamas to swiftly accept an “extraordinarily generous” Israeli proposal for a truce in the Gaza war and the release of Israeli hostages.
Why Scotland May Have Two General Elections This Year
Humza Yousaf’s resignation as first minister of Scotland has worsened a deep crisis within his party.
No Migrant Returns Deal With Ireland, Warns PM
Rishi Sunak has poured cold water on a deal with Dublin to return migrants to the UK following concerns from Irish officials that asylum seekers are crossing the Northern Irish border into Ireland.
Are Airlines Getting Tighter With Their Luggage Rules?
Q I fly frequently, using different UK airports and airlines. In the past few weeks I have lost count of the number of occasions when angry/upset passengers are told at the departure gate they must pay £40 or £50 for an oversized cabin bag.
Salah's touchline tantrum hints at deeper Reds split
In a sense, Mohamed Salah's season has come full circle. It started with a display of dissent amid a substitution in London, the Egyptian contriving to rip a rather small bandage into an absurdly high number of pieces when taken off at Chelsea.
Arsenal's derby grit bodes well for draining title race
It was a joke that Mikel Arteta probably wouldn’t have made had this game gone a different way.
Delivery firm Getir to quit UK with 1,500 jobs at risk
Grocery delivery firm Getir is to leave the UK, Europe and the US to focus solely on its home market in Turkey, bringing an end to its rapid expansion across the regions since the pandemic.
Way to go, Michelangelo
'The last decades', a new British Museum exhibition, strives to make the artist's work immersive from the powerful works to the much more saccharine pieces, writes Mark Hudson
No, Jerry, the left and 'PC crap' aren't killing comedy
Seinfeld's rant is ludicrous and ignores the fact the industry has policed itself when it goes too far, writes Adam White
'People say we're destroying football - I think it's absurd'
Humphrey Ker, actor, writer and affable executive director of Wrexham speaks to Jessie Thompson about stress, top-flight ambitions and not being part of the fairytale for much longer
