A witness in the Angela Rayner ‘two houses’ probe has told police he is willing to give evidence in court that she was the landlady of the property she claims was her home.
Chris Hinett told The Mail on Sunday he’d given a statement to Greater Manchester Police, which is investigating allegations that Ms Rayner broke the law by failing to declare her living arrangements.
This newspaper can reveal that at least six of the Labour deputy leader’s former neighbours in Stockport have been questioned by officers.
Ms Rayner maintains her ex-council house in Vicarage Road was her ‘principal property’, but neighbours say she was actually living at her husband’s house a mile away in Lowndes Lane.
Police are investigating potential breaches of electoral law, a failure to pay capital gains tax and a single-occupancy council tax discount being falsely claimed by Ms Rayner.
A witness in the Angela Rayner ‘two houses’ probe has told police he is willing to give evidence in court that she was the landlady of the property she claims was her home
She claims legal advice she received exonerates her from any wrongdoing, and has said that if the police find she has broken the law she will stand down as deputy leader.
Vicarage Road neighbours said she moved out in late 2009, before marrying Mark Rayner and moving into his house. They add that she rented out her Vicarage Road property to her brother, Darren Bowen, 46.
Ms Rayner continued to claim the Vicarage Road property as her main residence, which would have allowed her not to pay any capital gains tax on the £48,500 profit she made when she sold the property in 2015.
Last night, Mr Hinett, 64, revealed to this newspaper that he had told police he intervened when Ms Rayner rowed with a neighbour after their son broke her window with his football.
He later saw Ms Rayner sat in her car ‘casing’ the neighbour’s house, adding: ‘She told me she was the landlady of the house and her brother lived there, and he wasn’t strong enough to deal with the likes of us.
‘I have given a statement to the police, and I said to them I am happy to say in court that she told me she was the landlady. If she says she lived at Vicarage Road, I am saying she is a liar.’
A neighbour at Lowndes Lane, Sylvia Hampson, 83, was interviewed by police a second time after The MoS revealed she was a legal witness to a document Ms Rayner signed when she was selling the Vicarage Road property.
Deputy Labour Party Leader Angela Rayner’s address in Vicarage Road, Stockport where it is alleged she was also living
Her son, Andrew, 55, has also been interviewed by the police, as has David Murphy, 83, who has lived opposite the Rayners’ former home in Lowndes Lane for more than 20 years.
Mr Murphy said: ‘I used to see her take the kids to school, so I thought she lived at the address. Two police officers wanted to know about her movements.’
Another pensioner on Lowndes Lane, who did not want to give his name, said Ms Rayner told him she lived on the street when she was a prospective parliamentary candidate in Ashton-under-Lyne. At the time, Ms Rayner still owned her Vicarage Road property.
He said: ‘I met her at a charity bash. She told me she lived in Lowndes Lane and told me her door number. I said, ‘That’s four doors away from me.’ ‘
Last night, a Labour spokesman said: ‘Angela has been clear that she will co-operate with any investigation. We remain confident that she has complied with the rules. It’s now appropriate to let the police do their work.’
Officials confronted her in ‘cheat’ clash
by Abul Taher
Angela Rayner was confronted by Labour officials who accused her of ‘cheating’ during her race to become the party’s parliamentary candidate in Ashton-under-Lyne, it has emerged.
At least four senior officials in the Greater Manchester seat walked out of a meeting of the Constituency Labour Party (CLP) in protest after Ms Rayner, 44, was selected as the candidate in late 2014. They claimed she had breached party rules by canvassing at least six weeks before her rivals.
Sylvia Harrop, 83, the CLP’s then secretary, said she was ‘disgusted’ and walked out. She claims Ms Rayner said ‘the Tory candidates do the same’, adding: ‘But I told her that two wrongs do not make a right, Angela’.
The chair, vice chair and another official also walked out. It is believed that complaints were made to the national Labour Party, but no action was taken. A Labour source said Ms Rayner was legitimately selected as a candidate.
