Police are investigating allegations that Angela Rayner may have broken electoral law because of information she gave about her living situation a decade ago.
It comes after Conservative MP James Daly reported Greater Manchester Police (GMP) regarding allegations made by neighbors which allegedly contradicted the deputy Labor leader’s statement that her property – which was separate from that of her then-husband – was her main residence.
GMP previously said it would not investigating the accusations.
But the force has now “reassessed” information about the case and launched an investigation following a complaint from Mr Daly, an MP for the region and vice-chairman of the Conservative Party.
Latest Politics: Angela Rayner ‘welcomes the opportunity to state the facts’
A GMP spokesperson said: “We are investigating whether any offenses have been committed.
“This follows a reassessment of the information provided to us by Mr Daly.”
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said the investigation “will allow us to draw a line in relation to this matter” and added that it was “completely confident that Angela Rayner did not break the rules”.
He also said: “She will cooperate with the investigation, as you would expect, and that is really a police matter.”
A party spokesperson added that MP for Ashton-under-Lyne “welcomes the opportunity to expose the facts to the police”.
Mrs Rayner faced scrutiny over whether she paid the correct amount of tax on the sale of her council home in Stockport in 2015, after critics cast doubt on her claim that the property was her main residence.
The labor bench denied any irregularities.
Sir Keir previously said the Conservatives were “chasing a stain“, raising questions surrounding the deputy leader.
Rayner’s investigation depends on one thing
As with most political scandals, the tension in Angela Rayner’s real estate dispute has less to do with the (alleged) crime and more to do with the (alleged) cover-up.
Or, to put it another way, this is all about how honest and transparent the deputy Labor leader has been in responding to allegations about her living conditions a decade ago.
Ms Rayner’s rebuttal from the start was (to paraphrase) “this is all a big Tory smear, the house in Vicarage Road was my main residence, nothing to see here”.
Greater Manchester Police’s recently reopened investigation may depend on whether officers believe this was actually the case.
If it turns out it wasn’t, it’s hard to imagine a terribly harsh judicial penalty being meted out.
But there would still be a substantial political price to pay, as it would demolish the deputy Labor leader’s defense and call her honesty into question.
For a politician known for her direct and cruel ways – who has often been on the front lines chastising conservatives for all manner of indiscretions – a humiliation like this may prove too severe to survive.
Alternatively, a clean bill of health from the police could finally bury this story for the Labor Party, leaving Ms Rayner in the clear.
But even if this last point is achieved, it appears that the party and its second most important figure have – at least – a few more days of difficult coverage ahead of them.
Mrs Rayner bought the council house in Vicarage Road under right-to-buy rules for £79,000 in 2007 and sold it in March 2015, shortly before becoming an MP, for £127,500.
She married Mark Rayner in 2010 and they had two children.
If she moved into his house a mile away in Lowndes Lane, then Vicarage Road would no longer be her main residence and she would have paid tax on her £48,500 gain.
Starmer: Rayner’s tax story is ‘smear’
She insists she was not responsible for this and has sought tax advice which confirms this.
Sir Keir said on Monday that his team – but not him – I had seen the advicewhich was not disclosed.
Tax experts said that although Rayner may not owe anything, if he did, the amount could be around £1,500.
Mrs. Rayner has Said she lived in her own house all the timeand that the property was where she raised her son from a previous relationship.
“Every family is different, but it worked for us,” she said.
She described the allegations, which emerged in a biography of her written by former Tory donor Lord Ashcroft, as “a torrent of smears from the usual suspects”.
Read more: Who is Angela Rayner?
Senior Labor Party figures jumped to Rayner’s defense following the police statement.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was completely confident his “best friend” would be cleared.
Shadow climate minister Ed Milliband said Rayner, who left school at 16 while pregnant and without qualifications, was “inspirational” and “exactly the kind of person we need in politics”.
“We absolutely support Angela 100%,” he added.
However, Secretary of Defense Grant Shapps accused her of “double standards” and said she “spent her political career calling people out for exactly what she appears to be doing now.”
“It is important that this is looked at properly and I welcome the idea that the police are doing this,” he added.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
