Overview

• Documents indicate the Ashton-under-Lyne house’s value was updated from £487,500 to £650,000 in April 2024, with an apology lodged for the original error.
• Months later, Angela Rayner sold her 25% share to her disabled son’s court-run trust for £162,500 and used the sum as the deposit on an £800,000 Hove flat.
• Swiitch, the conveyancing arm overseeing the trust, said an administrative mistake was made and resolved with the Land Registry, and it is understood an independent surveyor provided the valuation.
• Rightmove data and local agents’ estimates suggest comparable properties nearby have sold for less, with no sale within a mile exceeding £561,000 in the past year.
• Rayner has referred herself to HMRC over underpaid stamp duty on the Hove purchase, and HMRC is reported to be expected to review the Ashton transaction as wider ethics scrutiny continues.