Jeremy Clarkson has issued a rather savage statement aimed at now-former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner after she stepped down from government on Friday following revelations about unpaid stamp duty on her East Sussex property.
The housing secretary's departure came after an ethics investigation examined her failure to pay the correct tax on an £800,000 flat in Hove.
Ms Rayner acknowledged she had underpaid stamp duty due to complicated property arrangements connected to a trust established for her disabled son. The resignation marks a dramatic end to her ministerial career, which began when Labour took power in July 2024.
Ms Rayner has also relinquished her position as deputy leader of the Labour Party. The ethics adviser's report, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer received before her resignation, found she had breached ministerial standards despite acting in good faith.
Jeremy Clarkson has ridiculed Angela Rayner following her resignation
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Mr Clarkson, who has relished mocking the Labour politician this week after the scandal came to light, wasted no time in sharing his thoughts on her resignation less than an hour after it was confirmed.
Taking to X, the Clarkson's Farm star penned: "We paid for Angela Rayner’s education. We paid her wages when she worked for the local council.
"We paid her wages when she became an MP. We even paid the settlement that enabled her to buy a house. Taxpayers have funded every aspect of her entire life," he signed off.
His unsympathetic verdict will come as no surprise given his social media post targeting Ms Rayner from earlier this week.
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Angela Rayner has resigned
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When news of the saga first emerged, Mr Clarkson wrote: "Crikey. The deputy prime minister of the UK has admitted she doesn’t understand how tax works. I wonder what else she doesn’t understand."
And he followed this up yesterday with another scathing remark: "I’m puzzled. Labourites tell us that Angela Rayner was only trying to look after her child which they quite rightly say is understandable.
"But when a farmer tries to look after his children, they say he’s a tax dodger." (sic)
Mr Clarkson has been a vocal critic of the current Labour government, in no small part thanks to their inheritance tax measures on farmers and the agricultural world.
Jeremy Clarkson waited under an hour to share his thoughts on Rayner's exit
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Ms Rayner's property complications arose from a court-mandated trust created in 2020 following what the former Deputy PM described as a "deeply personal and distressing incident" involving her son during his premature birth. The child was left with permanent disabilities, prompting the family to transfer their Greater Manchester home into the trust to ensure his residential stability.
Reports indicate Ms Rayner sold her remaining share in the family property to the trust for £160,000. She subsequently bought the Hove flat, believing she qualified for standard stamp duty rates since she owned no other property at that time.
Tax specialists later determined the new property couldn't be classified as her sole residence due to the trust's nature. This meant she owed additional stamp duty, with reports suggesting she had inadvertently saved £40,000 through the error.
Ms Rayner initially claimed she had received professional guidance confirming her stamp duty payment was correct.
Angela Rayner resigned as Deputy Prime Minister on Friday afternoon
| HOUSE OF COMMONSHowever, the conveyancing firm Verrico and Associates disputed this, with managing director Joanna Verrico stating: "We're not qualified to give advice on trust and tax matters and we advise clients to seek expert advice on these."
Just two days before her resignation, the Prime Minister publicly backed his deputy during Prime Minister's Questions, declaring he was "very proud to sit alongside her".
Not a bad idea. Make her work all day. And then give 25 percent of what she earns to someone who can’t be arsed to get out of bed.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) September 5, 2025
Chancellor Rachel Reeves also expressed support on Thursday, telling broadcasters: "I have full confidence in Angela Rayner. She's a good friend and a colleague she has accepted the right stamp duty wasn't paid."
Despite this high-level backing, the ethics investigation's findings ultimately forced her departure from government on Friday afternoon.
In her resignation letter, Ms Rayner stated: "I have always taken my responsibilities as Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, as well as a Member of Parliament with the utmost seriousness."
She acknowledged that despite the Independent Adviser finding she "acted in good faith and with honesty and integrity throughout", she accepted falling short of expected standards.