Christopher Talbot

How on earth has Angela Rayner been "cleared" by HMRC? She didn't pay the extra £40,000 stamp duty that was due. She didn't take the specialist tax advice on her flat purchase that she was advised to take. She failed to pay the extra stamp duty that she, as Housing Secretary, had brought in for second home purchasers. For HMRC not to issue a fine means they judged her decision as "reasonable care" having been taken, or it was possibly "careless", but not a "deliberate" underpayment. She clearly did not take "reasonable care" to ensure her tax was correct. And if it was "careless", it was *deliberate* carelessness. Do you seriously think that if YOU underpaid your taxes by £40,000 as the then Deputy Prime Minister did, that you would get away without a fine? Sorry, but this stinks.

I welcome HMRC’s conclusion, which has cleared me of any wrongdoing. I have been exonerated by HMRC of the accusation that I deliberately sought to avoid tax. When purchasing a home of my own with a mortgage, I did not own any other property and had no personal financial interest in the court-instructed trust set up to manage my son’s financial award. I was advised by experts that I should pay stamp duty at the standard rate. I set out to pay the correct amount of tax. I took reasonable care and acted in good faith, based on the expert advice I received, and HMRC has accepted this. I have always sought to act with integrity, and I believe politicians should be held to high standards - that is why I resigned from government and cooperated fully with HMRC.  I wanted to ensure that I paid every penny that I owed, and have done so. I am relieved that my family can now move on - and that I can get on with my job.