Angela Rayner’s property dealings are under renewed scrutiny after Land Registry documents revealed her constituency home was revalued upwards by £150,000 in April last year, following what her lawyers described as an “error”.
Yesterday The Sun revealed that the Ashton-under-Lyne property, originally submitted at £487,500 in May 2023, was revised to £650,000 – more than £100,000 above the price achieved by any comparable local home.
The revised figure allowed the then-Deputy Prime Minister to sell her 25% stake in the house to her son’s trust for £162,500, releasing funds that were subsequently used as a deposit on her £800,000 flat in Hove.
The timing was significant: Rayner (main picture) was already under investigation by police over alleged unpaid tax on a previous Stockport property, though she was later cleared.
UNPAID STAMP DUTY
She resigned as Deputy PM last week after admitting she underpaid £40,000 in stamp duty on her Hove purchase.
HMRC is now expected to widen its probe to include the Ashton-under-Lyne valuation, with officials understood to be preparing to examine her personal finances.
Local agents suggest Rayner’s four-bedroom home could be worth between £527,000 and £620,000, though sales evidence indicates most nearby properties have traded for significantly less.
FRESH QUESTIONS
Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: “This raises fresh questions for Angela Rayner that she must answer.
“Her resignation does not absolve her of responsibility… The public rightfully expect and deserve answers about how the former Deputy Prime Minister was conducting herself in office.”
The trust that acquired the stake in the property was funded through a compensation payout to Rayner’s son after complications at birth.
Property lawyers say connected party transactions of this nature give the seller greater scope to influence valuations.
Rayner has referred herself to HMRC and to the Prime Minister’s standards adviser over the Hove stamp duty affair.
