Police have launched an investigation into Angela Rayner.
Labour’s deputy leader has faced questions about whether she paid the right amount of tax on the 2015 sale of her ex-council house due to confusion over whether it was her principal residency.
A Greater Manchester Police (GMP) spokesperson said: “We’re investigating whether any offences have been committed. This follows a reassessment of the information provided to us by Mr Daly.”
James Daly is the Conservative MP for Bury North and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party.
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Police originally said Rayner would not face an investigation over claims she gave false information about where she was living for the electoral roll.
However, they agreed to “review the circumstances” in a letter to Daly last month.
It is reported that Daly made GMP aware of neighbours contradicting Rayner’s statement that a property, separate from her husband’s, was her main residency.
Responding to the news, Labour has said it remains confident that Angela Rayner has complied with the rules.
A spokesperson said: “Angela welcomes the chance to set out the facts with the police.
“We remain completely confident that Angela has complied with the rules at all times and it’s now appropriate to let the police do its work.”
On Tuesday, Labour leader Keir Starmer said the Conservative Party is “chasing a smear” in raising questions about Rayner’s taxes.
However, when asked on Friday if he was 100 per cent confident Angela Rayner has done nothing wrong regarding the sale of her former council house, Starmer refused to say explicitly that he was.
Pressed on an answer, the Labour leader told broadcasters: “Don’t try and play a game on this. … I have full confidence in her.
“You should be asking questions about the state of the NHS.”
Rayner has insisted she has “done absolutely nothing wrong” and took legal advice that no rules were broken.
Commenting on the news, defence secretary Grant Shapps said: “I think the double standards have been extraordinary.
“Angela Rayner herself has spent her political career calling people out for exactly the thing that she seems to be doing now. It’s not acceptable to ignore it and it’s not acceptable for Keir Starmer to say he won’t even read reports into it.
“This is something which is a serious matter. It’s important that it’s looked into properly and I welcome the idea that the police are doing that.”
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