Angela Rayner, Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, is once again in hot water. The outspoken politician made a huge cash win on the sale of her old council house through the right-to-buy policy, and is now calling for that very scheme to be reformed. These revelations are set to be detailed in a new and unauthorised biography about the Labour Deputy Leader, written by Lord Ashcroft.
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Here’s everything you need to know about Rayner’s property scandal, and about how people have reacted to her alleged ‘hypocrisy’.
Rayner made £48k on council house sale
The right-to-buy policy is a scheme designed to make it easier for tenants in council housing to buy their homes - often with rather large discounts. The policy was implemented by Margaret Thatcher, and Rayner has said that an incoming Labour government would ‘need to review the way right-to-buy works’. She called out people who have had ‘loads and loads of discount’ when buying houses under the scheme:
If someone's lived in their property for a long time, they've been paying rent and it's their home, then, yes, right-to-buy it.
But that right isn't that you get loads, loads of discount and we can't replace the stock.
However, it has since been revealed that Rayner bought her own former council house under the scheme, with a 25% discount. Later on, Rayner decided to sell that property which reportedly enabled her to make £48k profit.
Lord Ashcroft’s book
Rayner’s property portfolio revelations - and others - are set to be detailed in Lord Ashcroft’s book, Red Queen?, which is to be serialised in the Mail on Sunday next month. He has previously written similarly scathing publications about David Cameron, Keir Starmer and Borris’ wife Carrie Johnson.
While the Labour Party has accused him of taking an unhealthy interest in Rayner’s family, Lord Ashcroft claims the public have a right to know where Rayner lived from 2007 to 2015.
Reactions to Rayner’s comments
Rayner’s comments have sparked quite the reaction from fellow politicians and the public alike. Teesside Tory MP Jacob Young has accused her of ‘staggering hypocrisy’:
Having personally benefited from the right-to-buy discount, she now wants to pull up the ladder on other council tenants wanting to buy their home.
He went on: ‘Not only that, she appears to have moved into a second home only two years later, also bought under right-to-buy.’
People have shared similarly outraged comments online. One X user @BarryGreenhalg1, raged:
She is a disgrace. That’s as bad as fraud.
Meanwhile, Rayner stands by her decisions. She said:
Being able to buy my council house back in 2007 was a proud moment for me. I worked hard, saved and bought it by the book.
Rayner continued: ‘I’m not ashamed - but I am angry that the Tories have since put the dream of a secure home out of reach for so many others.’
However, it is currently unknown what Rayner wants to do about the right-to-buy scheme. The MP wants to change it, but she is yet to go into any detail.
Read more:
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⋙ Rishi Sunak: As the UK slips into a recession, here's the whopping salary he earns as Prime Minister
Sources used:
Express: Angela Rayner breaks silence with blunt three-word remark after being branded 'hypocrite'
Express: Angela Rayner slammed for ‘staggering hypocrisy’ over £48k profit on council house sale
