Cabinet crowd into Commons for Rayner's resignation speech

"Senior Labour figures packed into the Commons as ex-deputy prime minister Angela Rayner gave her resignation speech, a month after admitting she underpaid stamp duty. Rayner said the past few weeks had been "incredibly tough" on her family, but said she will "take responsibility" for her mistake. The Commons was packed with Cabinet ministers including - including Rachel Reeves, David Lammy and Bridget Phillipson, but not Sir Keir Starmer - as Rayner called for Labour to be "bold" in power."

"Rayner quit in September after the prime minister's ethics adviser said she breached the ministerial code by failing to get tax advice when buying a new house, despite warnings about her complex finances. The 45-year-old had acknowledged she had not paid enough tax when buying her East Sussex flat and said the "mistake" came about because she believed it was the only property she owned. At the time, Rayner said she had sought legal advice when making the purchase but that it had failed to "properly take account" of her circumstances. But Sir Laurie Magnus, the prime minister's ethics adviser, found she had relied on incomplete guidance which had come with a clear warning to seek specialist advice."

Angela Rayner resigned as deputy prime minister after admitting she underpaid stamp duty on a Hove flat linked to a trust for her disabled son. She said the mistake arose because she believed the property was her only residence, but complex trust arrangements meant it should have been treated as a second home, requiring an additional £40,000 in stamp duty. Rayner said she had sought legal advice which failed to properly take account of her circumstances. The prime minister's ethics adviser found she relied on incomplete guidance that warned to seek specialist advice. Senior Labour figures attended her Commons resignation speech ahead of the Renters Rights Bill.

Read at www.bbc.com