During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, April 24th, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden stood in for Rishi Sunak, who was engaged in talks in Berlin. Dowden faced questions from Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner regarding allegations that Sunak had made disparaging remarks about her tax advice in a previous PMQs session. These allegations stem from a dispute over Rayner’s tax payments on the sale of her Stockport council house in 2015. Confusion arose over whether the property was her principal residence, leading to scrutiny of her tax payments. Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer criticized Sunak for ‘smearing a working-class woman’ with these comments. Rayner has asserted that she will resign if any wrongdoing is proven, but maintains her confidence in having acted lawfully throughout the matter.
Deputy Prime Minister Dowden and Labour’s Rayner Clash at PMQs Over Tax Allegations
