Overview
- Independent adviser Sir Laurie Magnus concluded Rayner fell short of the ministerial code after she underpaid about £40,000–£42,000 in stamp duty on a second home.
- In her resignation statement, Rayner said she relied on incorrect legal advice and is working with lawyers and HMRC to settle the liability.
- The property deal involved selling her share of a former family home to a trust for her disabled son, a detail central to the dispute over tax treatment.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer accepted the resignation and is set to reorganize his cabinet.
- Opposition parties escalated criticism over ethics and tax fairness as the government faces renewed political pressure.