Loose Women star jumps to Angela Rayner's defence after shock resignation

Loose Women's Jane Moore has defended Angela Rayner after the Deputy Prime Minister resigned from her role over the stamp duty tax row. The MP has quit the government, admitting that she takes "full responsibility" after underpaying tax on a seaside flat she bought in Sussex.

Rayner said that she made the mistake in good faith but added: "I accept that I did not meet the highest standards in relation to my recent property purchase." She had previously said that she did not pay enough tax on the £800k property based on incorrect "advice from lawyers".

However, a conveyancer used by Rayner to buy the flat - Verrico & Associates - denied giving her tax advice and said that they were being made "scapegoats". Shortly after Rayner's resignation, ethics watchdog Sir Laurie Magnus confirmed that she had breached ministerial code.

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Speaking on the ITV show, Jane said that while Rayner - who was also Housing Minister - had to resign from the post, she hopes she won't resign as an MP.

"Well, I suppose she kind of has to," Jane said. "We don't know the details yet but the solicitors put out a statement this morning saying that they felt scape-goated."

She added: "What she appears to be saying is she gave them the wrong information in good faith. I think what she's saying is that she didn't understand that because she put her previous property into a trust, that has tax implications on buying a new property."

"I think what will happen here is she will now be on the backbenches, she won't resign as an MP I hope and they certainly won't want her to resign as an MP because otherwise it will be a byelection which in her constituency I don't think will go Labour's way. I think she's a very good politician in every other respect."

She added that if you're Housing Minister and you break the ministerial code, "you have to go", but reckons that Rayner will be back.

Nadia Sawalha added that while there's lots about Angela Rayner that she finds "extremely disappointed", it's "a shame to lose somebody from her sort of background". She said: "Also, I think the way that gusto that lots of people don't like, I think we need."

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