Angela Rayner has been fiercely defended by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson after being accused of "avoiding £40,000 in stamp duty" on a new property in Hove.
Grilled by GB News host Andrew Pierce on the revelations, Ms Phillipson assured that the Deputy Prime Minister can "spend her money as she chooses".
Ms Rayner has admitted to removing herself from the deeds of her family home in Ashton-under-Lyne before buying a seaside flat for almost £800,000.
Following the backlash towards the Housing Secretary, Ms Rayner still insists that her old home remains her primary residence.
Bridget Phillipson has defended Angela Rayner after being accused of a £40,000 stamp duty dodge
|GB NEWS / GETTY
Quizzing Ms Phillipson on her stance on the Deputy Prime Minister's property purchase, Andrew asked: "Your colleague Angela Rayner... your colleague Matthew Pennycook, Planning Minister, said this is not a story. Well, with respect Secretary of State, this story broke last Sunday, it's still a front page story eight days on.
"What do you say about it? She is said to have legally avoided £40,000 stamp duty in the way she designated the new property in Hove, which by the way is 270 miles from her constituency. It's apparently now her principal residence?"
The Education Secretary defended Ms Rayner, telling GB News: "Her principal residence is in her constituency.
"Angela Rayner has also said that she's followed all of the rules and requirements of her, in terms of all of the matters that have been discussed on the front page of newspapers."
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Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is potentially facing an ethics investigation | PAMs Phillipson added: "I would just add that she is, of course as a free citizen in this country, entitled to spend her money as she chooses.
"If she chooses to buy a flat, that's absolutely her right."
Assuring that Ms Rayner's actions are "within the rules", Ms Phillipson added: "It's the right of anyone to spend their money on what they choose, but she said that everything she's done has been in line with the rules."
Highlighting another Labour scandal, Andrew pointed out the Government's acceptance of "freebies" by Government ministers from Lord Alli, arguing that it is this type of "perception" that is affecting Labour's "popularity".
Ms Phillipson told GB News that Labour is focussed on 'delivering for working people in our country'
|GB NEWS
Ms Phillipson, who was gifted tickets for a Taylor Swift concert last year, concluded: "Political parties of all persuasions over many years have taken donations from individuals who want to make a contribution to their party in many forms. But of course, there were problems around what you've described, the appearance that that gave.
"And as a Government, everyday what we're focused on is how we deliver for working people in our country. We know that lots of people are still facing big pressures around the cost of living. We know that there are worries around the use of asylum hotels. We know that there is more to do to turn our country around. But I'm genuinely positive and optimistic about our country's future.
"I am positive that our country's best days lie ahead of us. I think we're a brilliant country, there is so much we can do to harness the the entrepreneurialism, the brilliance of our people if we work together, if Government gets behind it."
A spokesman for Angela Rayner said: "The Deputy Prime Minister paid the relevant duty owing on the purchase of the Hove property in line with relevant requirements and entirely properly. Any suggestion otherwise is entirely without basis."