Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has come under fire this week after it was reported that she avoided paying stamp duty on a second home.

The Housing Secretary admitted on Friday night that she saved £40,000 in stamp duty when she bought a flat in Hove, Sussex for £800,000 by first removing her name from the deed of her primary residence.

The changes meant she could avoid paying the rate of £70,000 required for a second home purchase, and instead handed over only £30,000 to HMRC.

The stamp duty furore – while not illegal – has raised eyebrows from critics and even some of Rayner’s own colleagues.

Critics have accused her of “hypocritical tax avoidance by a minister who support higher taxes on family homes, high-value homes and second homes”.

Rayner’s three homes

The Deputy Prim

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