Angela Rayner says she’s been cleared of any deliberate wrongdoing by HMRC and refuses to rule out leadership bid

Angela Rayner has today said that she has been cleared of tax avoidance, with an investigation concluding that there was no deliberate wrongdoing or carelessness over her tax affairs, paving the way for potential leadership bid.

Rayner has settled £40,000 in unpaid stamp duty after initially paying the lower rate, but has not paid any penalty as a result of the investigation. She had spent the past eight months under investigation by HMRC, after it emerged she had underpaid stamp duty on a Hove flat that she bought when her son’s trust bought her out of the family home.

The former Deputy Leader told ITV News that she welcomed HMRC’s conclusion and in an interview with the Guardian, the prime minister’s former deputy did not rule out running in any Labour leadership race but said she would not “trigger” a contest.

She said: “I’ll play my part in doing everything we possibly can to deliver the change, because it’s not a personal ambition, I know the difference it makes.”

It comes amid intense leadership speculation over Keir Starmer future, as allies of Wes Streeting said they expected him to challenge for the leadership today.