A fierce confrontation erupted on GB News when presenter Andrew Pierce clashed with former Labour adviser Stella Tsantekidou regarding Angela Rayner's stamp duty controversy.
The heated exchange occurred as the Deputy Prime Minister faces scrutiny over her admission of unpaid stamp duty on a seaside property.
Ms Tsantekidou defended Ms Rayner, arguing "This is an oversight, not fraud" and emphasising that the politician lacks the privileged background of wealthy MPs with "millions of pounds in the bank."
Andrew responded with visible frustration, exclaiming "Oh for God's sake" before countering that Ms Rayner's origins were irrelevant given her senior position.
Andrew Pierce was embroiled in a furious clash
|GB NEWS / PARLIAMENT
"She's got advisers at her disposal. She's the Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary. Her background has got nothing to do with it," he argued.
The former Labour adviser maintained that ordinary citizens recognise how wealthy individuals secure superior legal counsel and conceal assets in offshore havens.
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"Normal people can see that rich people get better advice. They hide their money in offshore accounts and get better lawyers," Ms Tsantekidou stated.
She insisted the media should extend Rayner the same leniency afforded to affluent politicians. "They give people like Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Rishi Sunak that grace," she argued.
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Ms Tsantekidou questioned the significance of the £40,000 sum involved when contrasted with the vast wealth retained by other parliamentarians.
"What is £40,000 when you compare it to the millions of pounds these other MPs get to hold onto?" she asked.
Andrew swiftly challenged this reasoning, highlighting that Ms Rayner's substantial salary of £160,000 annually enables her to obtain quality legal guidance.
His co-presenter Miriam Cates intervened, acknowledging she didn't believe Ms Rayner should step down but arguing that Ms Tsantekidou's stance undermined her own position.
The row centred around Angela Rayner's working class background
|GB NEWS
"That is different treatment," an exasperated Miriam pointed out when Ms Tsantekidou claimed she wasn't advocating for special consideration. "Dear me," Andrew added in frustration.
Political analyst Paul Connew expressed admiration for Ms Rayner whilst acknowledging her family circumstances involving her disabled son.
However, he emphasised that her senior governmental roles precluded any exemption from accountability. "Her background cannot excuse her if she has broken the rules," Mr Connew stated during the discussion.
The controversy stems from Rayner's recent acknowledgement that she failed to pay stamp duty on a coastal property, with the Deputy Prime Minister maintaining she received incorrect legal counsel at the time. She has stated that only recently did alternative legal advice reveal the original guidance was flawed.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer vigorously defended his deputy during parliamentary questions, whilst Labour officials appear confident she will weather an independent inquiry into potential ministerial code violations.
The situation is complicated by the property transaction's connection to her divorce proceedings and a trust established for her son who has permanent disabilities.
The fundamental dispute between Andrew and Ms Tsantekidou crystallised around whether politicians from modest origins merit different standards of accountability than their affluent counterparts.
Whilst the former Labour adviser insisted media scrutiny should be proportionate regardless of socioeconomic background, the GB News presenters firmly rejected any notion of variable treatment based on personal circumstances.