Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is under fire after allegations surfaced that she used national security laws to keep details about her London residence under wraps.
Critics claim these rules have been employed to disguise the fact that she has access to three bathrooms in her taxpayer-funded grace-and-favour property at Admiralty House.
Parliamentary Question Left Unanswered
Officials for Ms Rayner declined to answer a Parliamentary question regarding the number of bedrooms in her residence, citing “security and operational reasons.”
Despite this, the Conservatives uncovered through Freedom of Information requests that Rayner enjoys three bedrooms and three bathrooms in the home.
Council Tax Controversy Reignites
This revelation comes amid renewed questions about whether Rayner is paying the correct council tax surcharge on her Admiralty House residence.
Last year, she earned the nickname “Two Homes Rayner” after it was reported she had alternated between two Right-to-Buy council properties early in her marriage, renting out one while living in the other.
At the time, she was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Taxpayer Reimbursements and Housing Costs
Records show that when Rayner entered government, she declared her Ashton-under-Lyne constituency home as her primary residence, with a London flat designated as her second.
This arrangement allowed her to reclaim the £1,621 council tax bill on the flat through Commons authorities.
However, after moving into Admiralty House just four months before the Local Government Department began levying an extra 100% council tax charge on second homes, her council tax liability could double to £4,068 if Ashton-under-Lyne remains her primary residence.
Political Backlash
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood criticized Rayner, saying:
“It’s a scandal that Rayner tried to use national security laws to prevent the public from knowing she has three bathrooms all to herself.
She claims to be a woman of the people, but this exposes how out of touch she has become.
Rayner must use this opportunity to come clean on her council tax bill on this residence.”
Rayner’s Response
A spokesperson for Angela Rayner defended her, noting that she has two teenage sons and that the flat she has been allocated provides enough room for them to stay with her.
The statement emphasized that this arrangement is neither unusual nor unprecedented.
