Vetted by NeuralPress's Multi-Agent Verifier for strict factual validity and event relevance. Our compliance engine cross-checks and filters search results to ensure zero false correlations or misleading content.
Primary Sources
Labour's Angela Rayner says she has been cleared over UK tax affairs ...
Rayner says she has been cleared by HMRC, paving the way for a potential Labour leadership challenge.Former United Kingdom Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner says she has been cleared by tax authorities of deliberate wrongdoing or carelessness over her tax affairs, paving the way for a potential leadership bid as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s grip on power unravels.Starmer, who led his Labour Party to victory in the 2024 general election, is fighting to save his job after disastrous local and regional polls last week.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Who could challenge Keir Starmer for the UK PM’s job? Meet the candidateslist 2 of 3Starmer defiant at cabinet meeting amid growing pressure to resignlist 3 of 3UK’s Starmer faces challenge as resignation calls overshadow king’s speechend of listFour junior ministers have resigned, and more than 80 MPs have urged him to quit, but he has pledged to cling on.Although no one has so far launched a formal leadership challenge, UK media reported that Health Minister Wes Streeting was preparing to resign on Thursday to run for the top job.The prospect of a challenge by Rayner also grew as she announced that UK tax authorities had “cleared” her of deliberate wrongdoing in a tax affair, opening the way for her to compete in a potential leadership contest.“I have been exonerated by HMRC of the accusation that I deliberately sought to avoid tax,” Rayner said in a statement on X on Thursday. “I have always sought to act with integrity, and I believe politicians should be held to high standards – that is why I resigned from the government and cooperated fully with HMRC.”Rayner told The Guardian she was ready to “play my part” in any leadership election if Streeting were to trigger a contest.Pressure for Starmer to step aside or face a leadership challenge has intensified since the Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local and regional elections last week, highlighting voters’ frustrations with the current Labour government.Starmer has pledged to remain in office, warning lawmakers that any leadership contest would plunge the government into “chaos”. Under Labour Party rules, any potential challenger to the prime minister would have to have the backing of 81 of the party’s 403 members in the House of Commons; more than that number have publicly called on Starmer to quit in recent days.Streeting comes from the centrist wing of the Labour Party, as does Starmer. Rayner is popular among Labour’s left wing, calli...
Angela Rayner says she has been cleared by HMRC over tax affairs - BBC
1 hour agoAdam GoldsmithandBecky Morton,political reporterReutersFormer Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has resolved her tax affairs with HMRC following an investigation, settling £40,000 in unpaid stamp duty.The MP for Ashton-under-Lyne said she had been "exonerated" of the accusation she had "deliberately sought to avoid tax" in a statement on Thursday.Rayner is seen as a potential challenger to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, as he battles to save his premiership following a disastrous set of election results for the Labour Party last week.However, the outstanding HMRC investigation was seen as an obstacle to her standing.In an interview with the Guardian, the prime minister's former deputy did not rule out running in any Labour leadership race but said she would not "trigger" a contest.She said: "I'll play my part in doing everything we possibly can to deliver the change, because it's not a personal ambition, I know the difference it makes."Pressed over whether the prime minister should step aside, Rayner said: "Keir will have to reflect on that."Streeting would need the support of 81 MPs to trigger a leadership contest under the Labour Party's rules.The news about Rayner's tax affairs was first published by the Guardian newspaper and ITV News on Thursday morning.Speaking to the Guardian about the tax saga that led to her resignation, Rayner said voters had been "left with the impression that I somehow tried to avoid – or worse had been reckless or careless – in my actions"."Whereas now hopefully people can see that actually it's a really complex area of law," she said.In her interview with ITV News journalist Paul Brand, Rayner said she welcomed the HMRC's conclusion that "there wasn't any wrongdoing and that I didn't try to avoid paying tax, and I wasn't careless in the way I conducted myself".The BBC has seen an email from the tax authority to Rayner's lawyers which verifies that HMRC regards the matter as closed.HMRC also spells out in the email that Rayner will not face a penalty charge.A penalty is incurred if a tax error is "careless" or "deliberate".At the time of her resignation, the prime minister's ethics adviser said Rayner "acted with integrity" but had breached the ministerial code. He said she did get legal advice when buying the property, but failed to seek further expert tax advice as recommended.On Thursday morning, the former deputy prime minister said: "I set out to pay the correct amount of tax. I took reasonable care and acte...
Cleared of tax wrongdoing, UK Labour's Angela Rayner calls on Starmer ...
LONDON - Britain's former deputy prime minister, Ms Angela Rayner, a potential rival to leader Keir Starmer, said on May 14 she had been cleared of deliberate wrongdoing over her tax affairs ...
Angela Rayner Cleared By Tax Man As She Eyes Up Labour Leadership Bid
Angela Rayner has been cleared of any wrongdoing by the tax man - leaving her free to launch a Labour leadership bid. The former deputy prime minister has paid the £40,000 she owed His Majesty ...
