Angela Rayner comes clean after huge council tax row over three homes

Angela Rayner has come clean in a council tax row over her three homes. The Deputy Prime Minister has recently bought a seaside apartment near Brighton for more than £700,000.

The Housing Secretary already has her constituency home in Ashton-under-Lyne and a grace-and-favour ministerial apartment at Admiralty House in central London. Ms Rayner had faced ongoing questions from the Tories over which was her main residence for council tax purposes.

After refusing to say which was her main residence, her office confirmed she pays full council tax for her Manchester property and the second-home premium on her new flat near Brighton.

They added that council tax her Admiralty House flat is handled by the ­Cabinet Office and Westminster Council, as with all ministers.

But Tory Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly told The Sun: “This is the same Angela Rayner who lectures others on ethics and integrity

“If she cannot be open about her own tax affairs while driving up everyone else’s, what credibility does she have left?”

Ms Rayner has faced accusations of hypocrisy for buying a seaside flat as her department warns against the impact of second homes.

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has spoken in Parliament about the "negative impacts of excessive concentrations of short-term lets and second homes", which affect "local services" as well as "the availability and affordability of homes for local residents to buy and rent".

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said: "Rayner is the Everest of hypocrisy. She laments a housing shortage, wants to soak the rich, whilst selfishly building her own property mountain."

Tory MP Dame Priti Patel added: "One rule for this condescending hypocritical Labour minister, and a totally different set of rules for the hard-pressed taxpaying silent majority of Britain."

It comes after Ms Rayner was embroiled in a row last year over her previous living arrangements and the sale of her former council house.

A Labour source said: “Angela takes her council tax obligations seriously and she meets them in full.”