Police will take no further action against Labour’s Angela Rayner after accusations surrounding her living arrangements in 2010.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) launched an investigation into the party’s deputy leader earlier this year, after reports suggested she may have lived primarily at her then-husband’s address in Stockport, despite registering to vote under her own – which could be a breach of electoral rules.
Ms Rayner repeatedly denied the claims and the force had initially decided against looking into them.
Politics live: Police end investigation into Labour’s Rayner
But they later received a complaint from Tory MP James Daly, informing them of claims made by neighbours that contradicted the Labour MP’s statements, and so opened a probe.
Now, the force has released a statement saying it had completed “a thorough, carefully considered and proportionate investigation [and] have concluded that no further police action will be taken”.
The statement added: “The investigation originated from complaints made by Mr James Daly MP directly to GMP.
“Subsequent further contact with GMP by members of the public, and claims made by individuals featured in media reporting, indicated a strong public interest in the need for allegations to be investigated.”
Ms Rayner faced further allegations around the same home, also in Stockport, with claims she avoided paying capital gains tax when she sold the ex-council house – something she again denied.
But the police said: “Matters involving council tax and personal tax do not fall into the jurisdiction of policing.”
Instead, they said they had shared information from their investigation with both Stockport Council and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
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