Angela Rayner, the UK’s deputy prime minister, has stepped down after an inquiry found she failed to pay the correct stamp duty on a property.
Angela Rayner, who also served as housing secretary and deputy leader of the Labour Party, confirmed her resignation in a letter released on Friday.
In the letter, the UK deputy PM admitted the mistake and said she was taking “full responsibility for the error”.
The Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne was found to have underpaid £40,000 in stamp duty on an £800,000 flat she bought in Hove, East Sussex.
She had declared the property as her primary residence instead of a second home, which lowered the tax owed.
Earlier this week, Rayner referred herself to the government’s independent ethics adviser.
The adviser’s report concluded that she acted “in good faith and with honesty,” but still fell short of the high standards expected of government ministers.
It also pointed out that she ignored warnings from legal advice she received when she made the purchase.
In her resignation letter, Rayner said: “I have long believed that people who serve the British public in government must always observe the highest standards, and while the Independent Adviser has concluded I acted in good faith and with honesty and integrity throughout, I accept that I did not meet the highest standards in relation to my recent property purchase.”
She admitted she regretted not seeking expert tax advice at the time, noting that her “complex personal situation” and official position made it especially important to avoid mistakes.
Rayner also stressed that she never intended to pay less tax than was due and explained that her decision to resign was influenced both by the ethics report and the strain the controversy placed on her family.
“I would like to take this opportunity to repeat that it was never my intention to do anything other than pay the right amount,” she wrote.
She has been deputy prime minister and housing secretary since Labour came to power in 2024.
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