Angela Rayner, Britain's deputy prime minister, attends the South by SouthWest London (SXSW London), a culture, technology and creativity festival in Shoreditch, London, June 5, 2025. KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH / AP
The United Kingdom's deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, resigned on Friday, September 5, after an independent inquiry found that she did not meet the ethical standards required for government ministers over a recent home purchase.
Rayner, who admitted on Wednesday that she did not pay enough tax on her purchase of an apartment in Hove, on England’s south coast, earlier this summer, said the report found that she acted in good faith, but that, crucially, she should have sought more specific tax advice. "I take full responsibility for this error," she said in her resignation letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Rayner referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards, Laurie Magnus, on Wednesday, who delivered his report to Starmer on Friday. Though Magnus concluded that Rayner had "acted with integrity and with a dedicated and exemplary commitment to public service," he said that "with deep regret" she had breached the ministers' code of conduct.
In the UK, levies are charged on property purchases, with higher charges due on more expensive homes and secondary residences. Reports have suggested that Rayner saved £40,000 by not paying the appropriate levy, known as a stamp duty.
