Angela Rayner enlisted a local conveyancing firm to handle the purchase of her £800,000 flat in Hove, now at the center of a tax dispute, CuriosityNews has learned.
Legal documents show the deputy prime minister used Verrico & Associates, a family-run firm based in Herne Bay, Kent, for the transaction.
Rayner has stated that she sought legal guidance before buying the property in West Sussex, leading her to incorrectly pay a reduced stamp duty rate, estimated at around £30,000. However, she later consulted a senior barrister, who advised her that the payment had been insufficient.
The issue has raised concerns about Rayner’s political future, with scrutiny over the advice she relied on before underpaying by a significant amount.
Rayner believed she qualified for the lower stamp duty rate because she did not legally own another property. However, her family home in Greater Manchester is held in trust under her son’s name, making it legally hers for tax purposes.
Despite serving as housing secretary, Rayner has not disclosed which firms she consulted before the Hove purchase, though sources indicate she sought advice from Verrico and two trust law specialists. Reports suggest the barrister who later reviewed her case was Jonathan Peacock, an experienced tax lawyer with nearly 25 years as a king’s counsel.
CuriosityNews obtained the Land Registry filing for the Hove property, submitted by Verrico under a reference linked to Rayner.
Neither Verrico nor Rayner’s advisers responded to inquiries.
Verrico’s website describes it as a family business managed by Joanna Verrico and her three daughters, with four directors and two legal secretaries listed as staff.
Experts note that smaller firms handling general legal matters may lack expertise in complex trust-related property laws. It remains unclear who advised Rayner on the trust arrangement.
Downing Street stated on Thursday: “The deputy prime minister received the final legal opinion on Wednesday morning and promptly initiated steps to consult the independent adviser and engage with HMRC.”
Reports indicate she sought Peacock’s counsel last Friday, receiving a draft opinion on Monday, while the prime minister maintained she had acted correctly.
After obtaining the final opinion on Wednesday, Rayner confirmed to CuriosityNews that she had underpaid stamp duty and would refer herself to Laurie Magnus, the prime minister’s ethics adviser.
Magnus is expected to deliver his findings soon, with the results potentially shaping Rayner’s political standing.
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