Angela Rener has resigned from the government Emerged after this He underpaid stamp duty On a sea shore flat, violation of ministerial code.
After the entry of Ms. Rener Rising pressure and media reports Alleging that he saved £ 40,000 Property In HoveEast Sussex, by removing his name from a family household chores in his Ashton-under-linen constituency.
His resignation follows the conclusions of Ministerial Ethics Advisor Sir Laurie Magnus, Which he referred to himself On Wednesday.
Sir Laurie Magnus said that the outgoing Deputy Prime Minister “worked with integrity”, but failed to “take care” within the legal advice received when purchasing assets of £ 800,000 in how.
In his resignation letter, the former deputy PM wrote: “I have long faith that people serving the British people in the government should always inspect the highest standards.
“While independent advisor concludes that I have worked in good faith and honesty and integrity, I accept that I do not meet the highest standards regarding my recent property purchase.”
Here, Independent This issue explains the issue and led to the resignation of one of the top figures in British politics:
What are the rules around stamp duty?
For those who buy their first homes, or from one to another, stamp duty It is usually quite straightforward. Many rates on purchase are responsible, depending on its value from minus to 12 percent.
When it comes to other houses, the rules can be more complex. The range on which standard rates require to be paid are low, and 5 percent surcharge also occurs which can increase with the price.
Between £ 40,000 and £ 125,000, the overload rate is 5 percent. It increases to a maximum of 17 percent at properties of more than £ 1.5m.
Why did Raneer not give enough tax on his How’s flat?
Ms. Rener on Wednesday referred herself to the ministerial morality advisor after accepting silent days on Wednesday, that she had wrongly listed her flat.
When buying £ 800,000 Property In May in May, he paid the standard rate of stamp duty, which is estimated to be £ 30,000. However, high rates for other houses would have made it as £ 70,000.
The former deputy PM explained: “When purchasing the property, my understanding on the advice of the lawyers, my circumstances meant that I was responsible for the standard rate of stamp duty.”
She says that she did this because she sold her stake in her constituency more and more Manchester In a trust in which his son is beneficiary.
Ms. Rener explained that she had bought then Hove The flat, using £ 162,500 lump sum from selling its stake in your Ashton house, “who was the only property that I had and where my savings were”, to deposit on my new one. She states that she initially believed, based on legal advice, she was responsible for the standard rate of stamp duty.
However, Ms. Rener was later advised that despite not being the owner of any other property at the time of procurement, “The complex provisions related to the trust gives rise to additional stamp duty liabilities”.
In his report, Sir Laurie, advisor to morality, states: “After selling 25% of his stake in the family’s house in Ashton-Ein-Lin, Ms. Rener stopped owning any part of that property. However, under the relevant law, a person who does not owe a property can be considered nothing, if there are nothing; if involved in some circumstances;
“I think there are additional complications, for example, in question about a particular type of trust and due to which the trust was installed. It was taken together, it appears that – especially in the question of specialized types of trusts – the explanation of these rules is complex.”
What did the Ethics Advisor conclude?
Due to complications in the way stamp duty work, Ms. Rener was due to more payment Tax Even though he is not a trustee of his son’s trust (who owns his family’s house) on the purchase of his Howe’s house.
This important question was around whether Ms. Rener had received wrong advice, or did she demand to reduce her tax bill in a purposeful manner.
After a few days of investigation, Sir Laurie concluded that Ms. Rener did not target to do so. Ethics advisor writes that he reviewed the details of the property transactions and found that Ms. Rener understands that she only needed to pay the standard rate of stamp duty, “was held in good confidence.”
However, Sir Laurie said that Ms. Rener was advised, while wrongly informed that he had to pay only standard stamp duty, “it was worthy of the acceptance that this expert did not form a tax advice.”
In addition, Salah received this expert and obtained the advice by Ms. Rainer, which she did not. Ethics advisor writes that “it is deeply regrettable that specific tax advice was sought.”
He concluded that “Ms. Rener has worked with integrity and with a dedicated and exemplary commitment to public service,” she did not meet “the highest possible standards of proper conduct” according to the Ministerial Code.
“Accordingly, it is deeply regrettable that I should advise you that under these circumstances, I believe that the code has been violated.”
Where did Rener get the money for the Hov flat?
The former deputy PM says that he sold his stake in his family’s house for his son’s trust in January 2025. This gave him money to pay the deposit amount for the Hov flat, which he is with a hostage.
She says that the Court-Intervention Trust was established in 2020 using a payment, which was given after “a deep personal and disturbing event”, in which his son was included as a child before a time. Now in his late adolescence, he has a lifetime inability, including blindness.
In a statement, he said: “The trust was established to manage the award on his behalf – a standard practice in circumstances like ours.
“To ensure that he continues to stability in the family’s house, which was adapted to his needs, we agreed that our interest in the family’s house would be transferred to the trust directed by this court, with the sole beneficiary.
“Some interest in our family’s house was transferred to the trust in 2023.”
He then sold all his interest in Ashton-Ein-Lin’s assets in 2025, although it remains in his family’s house. It is believed by Ms. Rener’s son that now there is equity in Ashton House.
What is his family system?
Ms. Rener has two sons with her ex -husband Mark Rener, and an earlier relationship when she was 16 years old.
After divorcing Mr. Rener in 2023, she agreed to a “nesting arrangement” with her ex -husband, which means that her son lives in the family’s house the whole time, while he lives alternately there.
The House was only partially placed in the trust at this point, with them and the law firm Shosmiths as trustee.
The deputy PM sold her remaining stake in Ashton House to the trust in January, saying, by removing her name from deeds.