DEPUTY PM Angela Rayner has splashed out more than £700,000 on a luxury seaside apartment — her third home.
The Housing Secretary bought the flat near Brighton despite owning a home in Ashton-under-Lyne and having a grace-and-favour ministerial apartment in Westminster.
Now her latest purchase is a luxury three-bedroom flat near Brighton , which she bought for more than £700,000 earlier this year.
Rayner’s home in her constituency of Ashton-under-Lyne, Gtr Manchester, was bought for £375,000 in 2016 and is now valued at £650,000.
It comes as the Labour bigwig — seen floating about in an inflatable kayak on a summer break earlier this week — hammers second home owners and plans council tax rises for many.
Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly said: “Angela Rayner is responsible for housing policy, yet she won’t even be straight about her own.
“Time and again she’s been asked to declare exactly what properties she owns and where she pays council tax, and time and again she has dodged those questions.
“Now we find out she’s got three homes. We’ve done everything possible to get answers, but she still refuses to come clean.
“That matters, because this is the same Deputy Prime Minister who has hiked taxes on family homes across the country.
“If she’s not prepared to be open about her own affairs while taxing everyone else heavily, the public will wonder what she has to hide.”
Land Registry records reveal her latest three-bedroom sea-view period property was bought with a six-figure mortgage earlier this year.
And the Deputy PM has already celebrated by hosting a house-warming party with her partner, former left-wing MP Sam Tarry.
He has been seen by neighbours moving items into the flat, which boasts commanding seafront views.
Locals have also seen officers from the Met Police’s Royalty and Specialist Protection Command, which guards senior politicians, accompanying Ms Rayner.
Angela Rayner is responsible for housing policy, yet she won’t even be straight about her own
James Cleverly, Shadow Secretary of State
The bill for this is footed by the taxpayer.
Estate agents have described the street where Ms Rayner lives as “highly desirable” and period properties nearby have been put on the market for £3.5million.
She has been spending more time in the area recently.
Locals spotted her watching Mariah Carey perform at Brighton Pride, in Preston Park, earlier this month.
It comes after Ms Rayner moved into grace-and-favour Grade 1 listed Admiralty House flat in December last year.
The opulent apartment, paid for by public funds, has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and overlooks Trafalgar Square.
Wartime PM Sir Winston Churchill took up residence in the building twice and it was also home to former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.
Ms Rayner’s new seaside flat is just an hour away by train from Westminster.
Research published last week revealed renting a property in areas close to her new home is more unaffordable than London.
Before last year’s general election , Ms Rayner taunted then-chancellor Jeremy Hunt over his “vast property empire”.
Last year she was at the centre of a police probe over claims she breached electoral law in relation to her former home in Stockport.
There were also allegations she had falsely received a single-occupancy council tax discount and failed to pay capital gains tax.
No action was taken against her.
It comes as the Tories have accused Ms Rayner of not being clear about her council tax arrangements, claiming she has “flipped” her primary residences to avoid the higher rate of a second home premium.
Since April this year, councils have been able to levy a 100 per cent surcharge on second homes.
Ms Rayner is facing questions about the council tax she pays on her Admiralty House home.
In her most recent expenses declaration, she classified her home in her Ashton-under-Lyne as her main residence.
As a second home, under the new surcharge, her Admiralty House council tax would increase to more than £4,000.
However, if she has now designated her taxpayer-funded London apartment as her primary residence and received the single person discount, her council tax bill would be £1,525 — saving more than £2,500.
Angela’s work means she has often had to be in and around London for over a decade now, but had always rented a flat for that purpose
A source close to Ms Rayner
In a speech in 2023, Ms Rayner said: “Holding any position in public life should mean upholding the highest standards of ethics and integrity. What I have laid out today will put the right system in place to ensure accountability and transparency across government.”
Kevin Hollinrake, Shadow Housing Secretary at the time, wrote to her in May, pointing out these comments and asking about her council tax.
Government minister Jim McMahon said: “Council tax arrangements for Admiralty House are as has been the case for successive governments and ministers occupying it as an official residence. The Deputy PM’s council tax responsibility is properly discharged.”
Both PM Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed they are paying full council tax on their Downing Street homes.
A source close to Ms Rayner said: “Angela’s work means she has often had to be in and around London for over a decade, but had always rented a flat for that purpose.
