Allies of Angela Rayner have said her tendency to attract scandal could damage her leadership ambitions.
They suggested her desire for privacy meant that questions over her living arrangements had lingered for longer than necessary.
It came as No 10 signalled the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards will not even consider an investigation into the Deputy Prime Minister’s tax affairs until a mystery court order blocking her from discussing them is lifted.
The Tories have demanded Sir Laurie Magnus launch a probe into her purchase of an £800,000 second home in Hove.
Ms Rayner – who made her first public appearance yesterday since the row broke in a pair of eye-catching sunglasses paired with green flares and a cream double-breasted jacket – is facing questions about whether she paid enough tax on the flat in Hove.
