Rayner’s lawyers: ‘We are being made scapegoats’

Thursday 04 September 2025 7:15 pm

The regulation agency utilized by under-fire Angela Rayner for the acquisition of an £800,000 flat in Hove say that they’ve been made “scapegoats” and didn’t give the Deputy Prime Minister any tax recommendation.

In a press release issued to The Telegraph, Joanna Verrico, managing director of the family-run agency, stated that their process is to refer shoppers to a tax professional.

“We acted for Ms Rayner when she bought the flat in Hove. We didn’t and by no means have given tax or belief recommendation. It’s one thing we at all times refer our shoppers to an accountant or tax professional for,” Verrico stated.

“The stamp obligation for the Hove flat was calculated utilizing HMRC’s personal on-line calculator based mostly on the figures and the data supplied by Ms Rayner.

“That’s what we used and it instructed us we needed to pay £30,000 based mostly on the data supplied to us. We imagine that we did every part appropriately and in good religion. The whole lot was precisely appropriately.

“We most likely are being made scapegoats for all this and I’ve received the arrows caught in my again to point out it. We aren’t an inexperienced agency, however we’re not certified to provide recommendation on belief and tax issues and we advise shoppers to hunt professional recommendation on these.”

Starmer below strain

Rayner has maintained that she took recommendation earlier than the acquisition of the property and subsequently paid £30,000 in stamp obligation. She has since admitted to underpaying by £40,000 following contemporary authorized recommendation obtained in current days.

Rayner, who’s deputy chief of the Labour get together and Housing Secretary, has referred herself to the Prime Minister’s ethics watchdog and a report on her conduct is anticipated as quickly as Friday afternoon.

Earlier right this moment Keir Starmer declined 5 instances to say whether or not he would sack Rayner if she was discovered to have damaged the ministerial code.

Starmer stated “I’ll decide on what I see,” including that “I do assume in the long run we have to set up the information, which the impartial advisor will do and are available to a conclusion.”

The Conservatives, who’ve known as for Rayner to resign, earlier right this moment posted quotes on social media taken from a current biography of the PM by which he’s quoted as saying “If a minister, any minister, makes a severe breach of the foundations, they are going to be out.”