Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is facing criticism from her own neighbours in Ashton-under-Lyne, who claim she has all but disappeared from the constituency she represents.
The Labour Housing Secretary, who also serves as Deputy PM, recently bought an £800,000 seaside flat in Hove, more than 250 miles from the Greater Manchester town she has represented for over a decade.
A Growing Row Over a Garden Tree
One of her neighbours, 82-year-old James Lee, says he hasn’t spoken to Rayner in nearly two years. His biggest gripe? A 70ft tree towering over his garden.
According to Mr Lee, Rayner previously reassured him her trees – including a beech, copper beech and apple – had been checked and were safe.
But no further action was taken, leaving him frustrated as his garden now only gets sunlight after 2pm.
“She’s never here,” Mr Lee said, accusing the Deputy Prime Minister of “running away from her responsibilities.”
Concerns From the Community
It isn’t just Mr Lee who feels neglected. A woman living opposite Rayner echoed the same complaint, saying she can’t even remember the last time she saw her neighbour.
“I know she’s in London a lot,” the resident said, “but to have another new home in Hove is a long way from her roots and the people who elect her.”
Adding fuel to the fire, Rayner has reportedly mentioned Ashton-under-Lyne only twice on social media since last July’s general election.
The Question of Residences and Taxes
The situation has raised further questions about where Rayner actually calls home.
She officially lists her Ashton-under-Lyne Victorian villa, worth an estimated £650,000, as her main residence.
Her ex-husband, Mark Rayner, is thought to live there with their two children.
Meanwhile, her new seaside flat in Hove will be subject to Labour’s recently introduced double-rate council tax on second homes.
In contrast, the council tax bill on her taxpayer-funded grace-and-favour apartment at Admiralty House in London is covered by the public purse because it is classed as a second home, not a main residence.
If the London property were deemed her main home, Rayner herself would face a £4,068 council tax bill—double under the new second-home premium.
Can She Still Represent Ashton-under-Lyne?
Some constituents now question whether Rayner can effectively represent her constituency while spending so much time away. Mr Lee was blunt: “To do that job, you’ve got to be here. It does disappoint me as a constituent.”
Rayner’s Response
A source close to the Deputy PM defended her, saying: “Angela’s been proudly representing her constituents at Westminster for more than a decade.
Her role as Deputy Prime Minister means she has to be in and near London more regularly for work, but she’s at home in Ashton-under-Lyne often and makes no secret of the fact she loves her garden.”
It is also understood that Rayner has already given permission for Mr Lee to cut back the trees causing the dispute.
The Legal Angle
While there is no automatic “right to light” in English law, disputes about tall trees can be challenged under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act of 2003.
This allows local councils to step in when hedges or trees higher than 6ft 6in block a neighbour’s sunlight.
