Tax evasion scandal | UK Deputy Prime Minister Wealth Resigns After Reports Allege She Underpaid £40,000 in Stamp Duty
Angela Rayner, the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, announced her resignation from her post after being accused of underpaying stamp duty by around £40,000 (HK$420,000) on a property worth £800,000 (HK$8.38 million) following days of criticism from the opposition Conservative Party.
In addition, Weyarum also announced his resignation as deputy leader of the Labour Party.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer voiced his support for his deputy in Parliament, praising Vealan for her hard-earned rise to power from a working-class background.
Vealan was previously exposed by media outlets for purchasing the property, claiming it was her only home, when it was actually her second. This move saved her approximately £40,000 in stamp duty.
After the scandal was exposed, the Conservative Party has been fiercely criticizing Veyalan and demanding her resignation. Veyalan later explained that it was due to the wrong advice of her lawyer that she mistakenly reported the new property as her only residence. She denied deliberately evading taxes and has started the process of paying back taxes.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer supported his deputy in Parliament