Rayner is being investigated by police over ‘multiple allegations’

ANGELA RAYNER is being investigated over multiple allegations, the head of Greater Manchester Police has implied.

Stephen Watson, the Chief Constable, said there were “a number of assertions knocking about” that the force would “get to the bottom of ” regarding Labour’s deputy leader.

Ms Rayner has been accused of wrongly declaring her permanent address on the electoral register, which is an offence. Questions have also been raised over whether she should have paid capital gains tax on the sale of her former council house.

Officers are also looking at her council tax arrangements from the time in light of claims that she was not living at the property.

A police source told The Times that the inquiry is “well resourced” with at least a dozen detectives and that officers are looking at more than “a single issue”.

“There is a volume of material and a clear public interest to fully investigate,” the source added.

Ms Rayner has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and has described the claims against her as a “stream of smears” from the Tories.

She says she has received expert advice which she will provide to the police and HM Revenue and Customs, but she has repeatedly resisted calls to publish it.

“I’ve said all along I would welcome the opportunity to speak to the police and to HMRC because I have not done anything wrong,” she told LBC radio yesterday.

Ms Rayner bought her former council house on Vicarage Road, Stockport, in 2007 under the right to buy scheme for a discounted price of £79,000.

She declared the property on the electoral register as her principal residence until she sold it in 2015 for a profit of £48,500.

But she is facing questions over whether she had actually moved to her

ex-husband’s address at Lowndes Lane, a mile away, after the pair married in 2010.

Neighbours have contradicted her claims and say her brother was actually living at Vicarage Road, describing Ms Rayner as his “landlord”.

GMP, which had decided not to look into the claims, opened an investigation last week after James Daly, the Tory MP, alerted officers to their testimony.

Mr Watson told BBC Radio Manchester yesterday: “There are a number of assertions knocking about. We, on an initial assessment, made a determination that it was unlikely that we would pursue an investigation.

“We reassessed that decision and announced we will launch a formal investigation. That is a neutral act – it does not imply that the information gives us any hard evidence upon which to base anything at this stage.”

A spokesman for Ms Rayner said: “Angela has always made clear she also spent time at her husband’s property when they had children and got married as he did at hers. The house she owned remained her main home.

“Angela looks forward to sitting down with the appropriate authorities, including the police and HMRC, to set out the facts and draw a line under this matter.”

Nadine Dorries, a former culture secretary, raised concerns over Andy Burnham’s “influence” which she said could cause a perceived “conflict of interests”.

Mr Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, who effectively has the power to hire and fire the Chief Constable, is said to be a close friend of Ms Rayner.

In a statement, the force said he would have no role in its inquiry.