Labour’s Angela Rayner has been cleared by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) after claims she failed to pay capital gains tax on the sale of her former home.
The claims emerged earlier this year, alleging that when she sold the ex-council house in Stockport in 2015, her primary residence had actually been at her husband’s nearby address.
Ms Rayner always denied the claims.
Now, Sky News understands HMRC has confirmed she owes no capital gains tax after the sale and that no further action would be taken against her, as first reported by the Guardian newspaper.
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It comes after Greater Manchester Police said that Ms Rayner had been cleared of wrongdoing after the allegation she wrongly declared her address on the electoral register.
The force initially decided against looking into the matter but opened a probe after a complaint from Tory MP James Daly, who informed them of claims made by neighbours that contradicted the Labour MP’s statements.
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The force said yesterday that after “a thorough, carefully considered and proportionate investigation” it had “concluded that no further police action will be taken”.
Their statement added that information from the investigation had been passed on to to both Stockport Council and HMRC.
The council said shortly after that it had concluded no further action would be taken on its behalf.
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Ms Rayner welcomed the announcement and claimed the Conservatives had used “desperate tactics” against her.
“We have seen the Conservative Party use this playbook before – reporting political opponents to the police during election campaigns to distract from their dire record,” she said.
“The public have had enough of these desperate tactics from a Tory government with nothing else to say after 14 years of failure.
“I am grateful to all those who have stood by and supported me and my family. My focus now is squarely on securing the change Britain needs, with the election of a Labour government.”
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A Labour Party spokesperson said the force’s conclusion “draws a line under the matter”.
They added: “Angela has always been clear that she was not liable for capital gains tax on the sale of the home she owned before she was an MP, that she was properly registered to vote, and paid the appropriate council tax.
“She took expert tax and legal advice which confirms this.”
