Sir Keir Starmer hasn’t seen full legal advice over capital gains tax row for Angela Rayner’s council home sale
SIR Keir Starmer hasn’t seen the full legal advice over the capital gains tax row for Angela Rayner’s council home sale – despite giving her his backing.
The Labour chief told The Sun’s Never Mind The Ballots that he knew the “conclusion” of the expert view.
Tax experts have said that Ms Rayner could owe as much as £3,000 after accusations that she may have avoided paying capital gains tax on the sale of the property.
When asked if he was taking her word, Starmer said: “I have taken her word but I also do know the legal advice has been given.”
In a wide-ranging interview, Keir also:
- Vowed to protect Britain’s hardest workers from tax rises
- Refused to commit to the triple pensions lock for five years
- Insisted we ‘can’t go back’ on Brexit but wants a ‘better deal’
- Revealed he was paid to defend terrorists including Hizb ut-Tahrir
- Squirmed as he answered Sun readers’ quickfire questions
- Blasted Boris Johnson for ‘smearing’ him over Jimmy Savile case
- Condemned Tories’ Rwanda plan as an ‘expensive gimmick’
Pressed whether he has seen it, he added: “No, I haven’t. I know what the conclusion of the advice is.”
Sir Keir added: “For all I know, the advice might go into the personal circumstances of her living arrangements.
“I also respect privacy, and there’s issues there about her son, I think. And I’m very protective of my own children.
“I’m perfectly willing to protect the privacy of others who want to protect their children.”
An emotional Ms Rayner speaking in Westminster last week said there was never a question of being deceitful or a conspiracy regarding a “difficult” family situation at the time.
The claims about her living arrangements are contained in a new biography titled ‘Red Queen’ written by Lord Ashcroft.
There have been claims she was living at her husband’s address nearby despite owning the council home.
She made a £48,500 profit on the home which she brought through the “right-to-buy” scheme which allows local authority tenants to buy their homes at a discount.
But she has said: “I’ve had expert tax advice, I’ve looked into that, and there is Capital Gains Tax for me to pay.”