UK deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner resigned on Friday after an independent inquiry concluded that she failed to meet ministerial ethical standards in relation to a property purchase, reported news agency AP.
Rayner admitted earlier this week that she had underpaid tax on an apartment she bought in Hove, on England’s south coast. She added, the report found that she acted in good faith, but that, crucially, she should have sought more specific tax advice.
In her letter of resignation addressed to British PM Keir Starmer, Reyner said she "deeply regrets" her decision not to seek additional specialist tax advice given her position in the government and her "complex" personal situation.
"I take full responsibility for this error," she continues.
"I would like to take this opportunity to repeat that it was never my intention to do anything other than pay the right amount."
She says she has decided to resign based both on the findings of the report and the impact on her family.
Starmer responded to Reyner’s resignation with a hand written letter.
He thanked Rayner for informing him of her decision to resign from the government, adding that he's "very sad that your time as deputy prime minister, secretary of state and deputy leader of the Labour Party has ended in this way".
The PM says Rayner was "right" to refer herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards and "right to act on his conclusion".
On Wednesday, she referred herself to Laurie Magnus, the government’s independent adviser on ministerial standards, who submitted his findings to Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday, according to the AP.
Though Magnus concluded in report that Rayner had “acted with integrity and with a dedicated and exemplary commitment to public service," he said that “with deep regret” she had breached the ministers’ code of conduct.
Reports suggested that Rayner avoided paying as much as £40,000 by not declaring the correct stamp duty, a levy charged on property transactions in the UK, with higher rates applying to expensive homes and secondary residences.
Rayner, who also held the housing brief in the Labour government, had built her reputation as one of its most outspoken figures. She had often criticised Conservative leaders for failing to ensure tax compliance, a position that added scrutiny to her own case.
She also resigned as deputy leader of the Labour Party, meaning party will conduct election to replace her
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