General election latest: Tories lose 'central allegation to beat Labour with' as police drop investigation into deputy leader Rayner (2024)

As we just reported, police have ended their investigation into Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner.

If you need a reminder, the issue had centred on what house Ms Rayner used as her primary address 10 years ago.

Ms Rayner said it was an ex-council house she used to own on Vicarage Road in Stockport, which she bought in 2007.

But she faced claims she lived primarily at her then husband's address in Lowndes Lane, just over a mile away.

The pair married in 2010 and have two children together.

Why did the claims matter?

The claims she lived mainly at her ex-husband's house mattered because she was registered to vote at the Vicarage Road address.

Under electoral rules, voters must register at their permanent home address, and there are penalties for providing false information when registering to vote.

Then there is the issue of whether she paid the right amount of tax when she sold her house.

She sold the Vicarage Road house in 2015 for £127,500, having bought it at a 25% discount through the "right-to-buy" scheme for £79,000 in 2007.

If it was her primary address, as she has claimed, she would not have had to pay capital gains tax on the £48,500 profit.

But if she had moved to Lowndes Lane, she would have had to pay up.

Tax experts have said if Ms Rayner did owe tax, the amount could be in the region of £1,500.

She had vowed to stand down if she was found to have done anything wrong.

Labour have responded to news that police have ended their investigation into the party's deputy leader, Angela Rayner.

A spokesperson said she "cooperated fully" throughout and "has always been clear that she was not liable for capital gains tax on the sale of the home she owned before she was an MP".

"She was properly registered to vote, and paid the appropriate council tax. She took expert tax and legal advice which confirms this," they added.

"This draws a line under the matter."

Our political correspondent Serena Barker-Singh is reacting to news that Greater Manchester Police will take no further action relating to Angela Rayner's former living arrangements.

She said: "There were many allegations towards Angela Rayner over a home that she owned in Stockport in 2015, but police were only investigating one part of it - and that was over electoral law."

In short, this is whether she had registered the address where she was living.

But Serena explains: "And there's a separate allegation that a Tory MP was trying to make over whether she had paid capital gains tax.

"Now, this was because while she owned a property in Stockport, there were questions over whether she lived and used that as her primary address."

Greater Manchester Police have said today that "no further police action will be taken".

Serena says: "The Tories have been making hay of this, and have been doing so for a long time.

"I think Labour will be pleased that so early in the election they will no longer have that central allegation to beat Labour with."

We've just got word from Greater Manchester Police on its investigation into Angela Rayner's former living arrangements.

The force has said "no further action will be taken" against the deputy Labour leader.

A spokesperson said it came to the decision after a "thorough, carefully considered and proportionate investigation".

"The investigation originated from complaints made by Mr James Daly MP directly to GMP," they added.

Mr Daly is the vice chair of the Conservative Party.

"Subsequent further contact with GMP by members of the public, and claims made by individuals featured in media reporting, indicated a strong public interest in the need for allegations to be investigated," the spokesperson continued.

"Matters involving council tax and personal tax do not fall into the jurisdiction of policing."

"GMP has liaised with Stockport Council and information about our investigation has been shared with them.

"Details of our investigation have also been shared with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC)."

Next, Rishi Sunak is asked about news that 121 businesses have thrown their support behind Labour ahead of the general election.

He says: "Well I'm not sure what they think they are backing, because Labour haven't said what they would do differently for businesses in our country.

"But we can look at what they are doing in Labour-run Wales, where they are increasing taxes for small businesses, in contrast to what we are doing in England.

"So if you're a typical pub in Wales, your business rates bill just more than doubled as a result of the actions of the Welsh Labour government."

Mr Sunak adds that Labour want to introduce "French-style union laws" to the UK, with regulations that he says will "cost jobs and damage our economy".

You can read more on the businesses backing Labour here:

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today claimed pensioners will "pay tax under Labour" as his party unveiled their triple-lock plus plans.

This would see a pensioner's allowance rise in line with either average earnings, inflation or by 2.5% - whichever is higher - from next April, echoing the rules on annual state pension increases.

Speaking to reporters in the East Midlands, he was asked why he decided to stop an effective tax rise on pensioners - but allowed one to go ahead on working age people.

Has Mr Sunak given up on young voters?

"What I believe is that if you work hard all your life, you should have dignity in retirement - that's why we've protected the triple lock, which is going up by £900 this year for pensioners," he said.

"But today what we've announced is the triple lock plus. We're going to increase the personal allowance for pensioners, delivering a tax cut worth around £100 to millions of pensioners, demonstrating our commitment to them."

'Pensioners will pay more tax under Labour'

The prime minister says that, in contrast, the Labour Party "have said they oppose that policy".

"Which means pensioners will be paying tax under any future Labour government, and that's a clear choice on offer at this election."

He calls this a tax cut, and is asked if this is him admitting that a decision to freeze tax thresholds was a tax rise.

"I think most people recognise that the country has been through an extraordinary amount - the pandemic, and then the war in Ukraine - both of which meant that the government stepped in to support people."

Mr Sunak says that this called for "difficult decisions".

However, he says that the Tories have now been able to "cut people's taxes", pointing to two national insurance cuts in the last year.

Lord Cameron was asked by broadcasters if he is disappointed that some Tory MPs and candidates have publicly criticised Rishi Sunak's national service plans.

The ex-PM replied that it's a "really bold decision" to propose the plan, and says he "fully" supports it.

"In many ways, it's actually fired up this election campaign," he said, and added it shows a "choice" between Mr Sunak with a "clear plan" making "bold decisions", and Sir Keir Starmer with "absolutely no plan at all".

He also hit out at the Labour leader's pitch that "change" is "stability", characterising the assertion as "like sunshine for being cold or rain to stay dry".

Pushed on if the PM should keep expecting criticism of bold ideas, Lord Cameron replied: "What he should do is keep coming up with the bold plans and the bold ideas.

"In the end, elections are not a referendum on the government - they're a choice, and you can see a real choice opening up."

Lord Cameron might be on the campaign trail today, but he remains foreign secretary until the election at least.

To that end, he was asked by broadcasters for his reaction to the Israeli air strike in Rafah that saw many civilians killed, and the arrest warrants being sought by a prosecutor at the International Criminal Court for Israeli and Hamas leaders.

He replied that what happened "really did look very, very concerning, very worrying, and so we're asking for that to be investigated rapidly".

"The Israelis have already said it was a tragic mistake, but we want to see that properly investigated."

He said he wants to see a pause in fighting, which "has been offered by the Israelis".

The aim is to get hostages out, aid in, and then that can become a "permanent, sustainable ceasefire".

Asked if he agrees with calls to recognise Palestine as a state immediately, he said he wants to see that as part of a two-state solution - "a secure Israel next to a secure, democratic Palestine".

"Recognition of course will come, but it shouldn't come at the start of this process. It doesn't have to wait until right at the end, but it should be part of bringing about a two-state solution."

You can get the latest on war in the Middle East in our dedicated blog:

The Conservative Policy's big policy announcement today is promising to cut taxes for pensioners by creating a new "age-related" tax-free allowance - dubbed "triple lock plus".

Currently, people can receive £12,570 a year of their pensions before they start paying income tax on them - the same figure as the personal allowance for those who work.

But if the party wins the next election, a pensioner's allowance would rise in line with either average earnings, inflation or by 2.5% - whichever is higher - from next April.

Lord Cameron has been on the campaign trail today, and was asked by broadcasters if Rishi Sunak is having to undo the damage he caused after he scrapped the special thresholds for pensions in 2014 when he was PM.

'Clear choice has opened up'

The now foreign secretary said he put in place the triple lock on pensions, which "has actually seen real increases for pensioners, real gains".

He went on: "What we're adding now is the triple lock plus - we're saying that if you have a pension which is rising, it's never going to be subject to tax."

He said a "real, clear choice has opened up between doing right by the pensioners under the Conservatives, or having the retirement tax under Labour", because they have not committed to matching that pledge.

But Lord Cameron did not answer whether Mr Sunak is undoing the damage he did as PM.

Our political correspondent Tamara Cohen is on Labour's campaign bus today and was in the room for Rachel Reeves's speech this morning.

She says it was all about trying to "reassure businesses and workers", with absolutely no policy announcements.

Tamara notes this election has seen something of a role reversal for the two main parties.

"Compared to the last three elections I've covered, it's the Tories who are chucking out different offers and Labour being very safety first," she says.

Ms Reeves's message was "very much Labour is the partner of business".

"It's been on a journey since their terrible defeat in 2019, but she says they now represent the centre ground of British politics," Tamara says.

One other thing to note - a slight dividing line between Ms Reeves and her boss Sir Keir Starmer.

He was asked yesterday if he'd define himself as a socialist, and the Labour leader said yes.

Not so Ms Reeves.