Overview

• Rayner acknowledged designating a Sussex property as her main residence, which reduced the stamp duty bill by about £40,000.
• She blamed faulty legal advice, pledged to repay the sum, and said the arrangement came during a difficult divorce and the creation of a trust for a disabled child.
• Following reporting by the Telegraph, she self-referred to Downing Street’s independent adviser Laurie Magnus to examine any breach of the ministerial code.
• Keir Starmer expressed support as Conservatives called for her to quit, with a report to his office expected shortly on whether rules were broken.
• The case has fueled talk of Labour infighting and claims of class and gender bias in the media’s treatment of the high-profile minister for housing and anti-corruption.