Angela Rayner accuser refuses to reveal details of council house row allegations

The MP whose complaint prompted a new police investigation into Angela Rayner's domestic arrangements almost ten years ago has repeatedly refused to detail the allegations he has made to the force.

Greater Manchester Police has launched an investigation into whether the Ashton-under-Lyne MP broke electoral law over information she gave about her living situation in 2015. The deputy leader of the Labour Party has previously said she did nothing wrong when declaring her main residence, and insisted she followed the rules when selling her ex-council house in Stockport in 2015 before she became an MP.

Questions have been asked about whether the property was her main home, as well as whether she paid the right amount of tax on the sale. Ms Rayner has promised to resign if she is found to have committed a crime over the accusations, but said she 'followed the rules at all times'.

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Her former aide Matt Finnegan, a former MEN journalist, left Ms Rayner’s employment with a £20,000 payout and non-disclosure agreement after accusing her of disability discrimination and unfair dismissal. He has reportedly told police he 'vividly' remembers her home was elsewhere and that there was 'no doubt in my mind that this was Ms Rayner’s family home' when he visited her at what she says was her husband’s address in 2014.

Ms Rayner was registered at an ex-council house she bought in Stockport, but it is understood Conservative Party deputy chairman James Daly has suggested neighbours say she lived with her husband at a separate property.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) initially said it would not be investigating the allegations, but following a complaint from the Bury North MP Mr Daly, the force confirmed it had reassessed information and launched a probe.

Today (Wednesday) Mr Daly, when pressed to reveal the detail of the allegations he has made to GMP, repeatedly declined to outline the specifics of his complaint.

He repeatedly told Sky News he didn't want to go into the detail because 'the matter is with Greater Manchester Police'.

During testy exchanges with Labour MP Chris Bryant who asked what he thought Ms Rayner had done wrong, Mr Daly went on: "An allegation has been made to the police. The police are investigating that. Let's give them the time and opportunity to do that."

He added: "I believe Greater Manchester Police should be able to look into these allegations, in the way that they think is appropriate."

Pressed by the host on why he appeared uncomfortable in releasing details of the allegations, he said: "It is my view that rather than debating these matters in public and rather than go through evidence or not evidence, we should allow the Greater Manchester Police to investigate these matters fully and thoroughly and let justice take its course."

He added: "I asked the police to investigate certain matters in the public domain regarding certain things. My point is... that I want the police to be given the time and the space to investigate those matters."

Asked whether he had asked police to investigate 'tax matters or electoral roll issues', Mr Bryant said: "There are a number of matters and I think those, some of the issues you raised there are included within that. But I don't want to comment on a police investigation. The police are investigating these matters and I want to allow them to do that without me as a politician commenting on what they should do or what they shouldn't do."

In a statement issued on Friday evening, Ms Rayner said she was 'completely confident' that she 'followed the rules at all times'.

She said: “I’ve repeatedly said I would welcome the chance to sit down with the appropriate authorities, including the police and HMRC, to set out the facts and draw a line under this matter. I am completely confident I’ve followed the rules at all times.

“I have always said that integrity and accountability are important in politics. That’s why it’s important that this is urgently looked at, independently and without political interference.

“I make no apologies for having held Conservative ministers to account in the past. Indeed, the public would rightly expect me to do so as a Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

“We have seen the Tory Party use this playbook before – reporting political opponents to the police during election campaigns to distract from their record. I will say as I did before – if I committed a criminal offence, I would of course do the right thing and step down. The British public deserves politicians who know the rules apply to them.

“The questions raised relate to a time before I was an MP and I have set out my family’s circumstances and taken expert tax and legal advice. I look forward to setting out the facts with the relevant authorities at the earliest opportunity.”