Lady in red Rayner on campaign trail despite police probe

DESPITE having a police investigation into the ‘two homes’ row hanging over her, Angela Rayner could not have been more conspicuous as the General Election campaign kicked off yesterday.

Greater Manchester Police is understood to be investigating potential breaches of electoral law, a failure to pay capital gains tax and whether a singleoccupancy council tax discount was falsely claimed by Sir Keir Starmer’s deputy.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson last week insisted his officers would examine the claims being made against her ‘fairly, impartially’ and ‘go where the evidence leads us’.

Legal experts say there is no reason for police to pause the probe now campaigning has begun, meaning she – and Labour – could face weeks of uncertainty. Nevertheless, Sir Keir began his campaign trail yesterday flanked by Ms Rayner dressed all in red for an event at Gillingham Football Club in Kent.

Ms Rayner, in her role as Shadow Housing Secretary, is also the face of Labour’s landmark housebuilding policy.

Police were asked to investigate by Conservative deputy chairman James Daly after Ms Rayner’s convoluted property dealings were revealed by The Mail on Sunday.

The force initially said it had concluded there was ‘no case to answer’. But after the Bury North MP responded with a series of further questions, it announced it had launched an investigation just three weeks before crucial local elections in England.

Last week, Mr Watson declined to give details of the police probe. But he said it would ‘not necessarily’ result in a file being sent to the CPS to consider whether charges should be brought, telling the Guardian it depended ‘what comes out’.

Ms Rayner maintains that an ex- council house in Stockport which she sold for a £48,500 profit in 2015 was her ‘principal property’.

But neighbours say she was actually living at her husband’s house a mile away, leading to claims she may have committed an offence by remaining on the electoral roll.

She claims legal advice she received exonerates her from any wrongdoing, and has said if the police find she has broken the law she will stand down.

Labour has previously said Ms Rayner would ‘co-operate with any investigation’ and that the party is ‘confident she has complied with the rules’.