Angela Rayner - 3 homes now

Brighton Council is concerned:

Amanda Evans, a Labour Councillor, claims that a similar ban in Brighton is necessary as younger people cannot afford to live in the city.
bmmagazine.co.uk/news/brighton-becomes-first-uk-city-to-take-action-against-second-homeowners-and-holiday-lets-as-pandemic-buyers-push-hike-property-prices/

Nothing to do with a like or dislike of Angela Rayner as a person. In fact, well done to her for achieving what she has. But the fact remains, as GrannyGravy pointed out, it is simply not good optics.

As many of you might say, it's expected of the Tories.

But it is not expected of a Labour Government, we hope they will practise what they preach - although we should have learned by now that it is not a typical.

although we should have learned by now that it is not a typical.

although we should have learned by now that it is typical.

Annma

A very nasty non story.Compared with the perks, numerous homes etc enjoyed by BoJo and company,this is nothing.

gosh, what a delicate flower! 🤭
How is this post nasty and a non-story? Maybe you would like to ask all the newspapers, TV programmes and radio phone ins who ALL carried the same story about AR.

I think she is a hypocrite constantly saying there is a housing shortlist and the need to build more homes then buys herself another home

Some individual MPs own sizable portfolios:

Nick Fletcher (Don Valley, Conservative) owns six houses and four flats—ten residential properties total—the largest known number among MPs
Wikipedia
.

Marco Longhi, who defected to Reform UK in 2025, is known to own 10 houses in Walsall
Wikipedia

Nigel Farage.
Investigative Reporting

Independent journalism sheds light on additional properties:

A £1 million family home in Kent (Downe) retained after his divorce.

Two beachside homes on the Kent coast (Lydd-on-Sea and Greatstone), owned via his company Thorn In The Side Limited.

A fourth house in Surrey, used as an investment property.

Express
InView.org.uk • Independent News
The Standard
Kent Online
Ido Business

When combined, these amount to four residential properties, forming what has been described as a “£3 million property empire” amassed since the Brexit referendum.

IOMGran

Some individual MPs own sizable portfolios:

Nick Fletcher (Don Valley, Conservative) owns six houses and four flats—ten residential properties total—the largest known number among MPs
Wikipedia
.

Marco Longhi, who defected to Reform UK in 2025, is known to own 10 houses in Walsall
Wikipedia

Nigel Farage.
Investigative Reporting

Independent journalism sheds light on additional properties:

A £1 million family home in Kent (Downe) retained after his divorce.

Two beachside homes on the Kent coast (Lydd-on-Sea and Greatstone), owned via his company Thorn In The Side Limited.

A fourth house in Surrey, used as an investment property.

Express
InView.org.uk • Independent News
The Standard
Kent Online
Ido Business

When combined, these amount to four residential properties, forming what has been described as a “£3 million property empire” amassed since the Brexit referendum.

As far as I’m aware none of them have been in charge of a Government Department which has constantly deplored the negative effects and of people buying second homes.

That is the hypocrisy. Saying one thing and doing the opposite.

The apartment is in Hove, not Brighton, a distinct difference as any resident of Hove will tell you.
It matters not what property portfolios other MPs have; they are not Labour's PM nor Secretary of State for Housing. Rayner is fronting the campaign to improve housing stock; both Starmer and Pennycook have condemned the purchase of second homes as limiting available affordable housing.

At the same time Rayner has purchased a £700,000 apartment while inhabiting two homes. There are questions about which property she is claiming council tax relief on, (the grace-and-favour- apartment apparently paid by the taxpayer) a privilege accorded to MPs, but not second home owners whose tax has been increased by..........Angela Rayner.

This debacle echoes the obfuscation from Rayner about Capital Gains Tax payable on her council house she sold for £48, 000 profit, while apparently living concurrently with her husband at his/their residence where her children's births were later registered. Presumed to be her main residence.
She was investigated, there is apparently no tax outstanding but declined to publish the 'advice' she was given.

A role model for young women?
I hope not.

The issue for me is not dislike of AR, nor whether she has the right or the money to buy a second home.

It’s the incongruence of someone in a position of power related to her actions, pledging to ^ turn the tide in the housing crisis^ then doing one of the things which we are told is contributing to the housing crisis.
 
I read,
Angela Rayner, the Housing Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister, has pledged to “turn the tide on the housing crisis” as England experiences the “most acute housing crisis in living history”.

So how does that measure up when she buys herself a holiday home – a £700,000 apartment in Hove? Rayner already owns a home in her Greater Manchester constituency and has the use of a lavish central London home that goes with her role as Deputy Prime Minister.

I find it incredible too, that the excuse is offered, that many people in need of housing, couldn’t afford her flat in Hove.

Does that mean you don’t have to practise what you preach if you are well enough off?

No, it means that there are different levels of hypocrisy. I gave examples earlier, but I don't think anyone has responded, preferring to find the idea that it is not black and white amusing. I clearly don't share that sense of humour, as the joke is lost on me.

As many of you might say, it's expected of the Tories.
Oh dear. Class envy again.
But it is not expected of a Labour Government, we hope they will practise what they preach - although we should have learned by now that it is not a typical.

Some are venal, some are not. Pretty equally spread through all parties.

I agree with your second point, but not the first. Social class is not as much an indicator of voting behaviour as maybe it once was. If anything, the Labour Party has more graduates and people in professions than the Tories.

All of them are human though, with the frailties and nuances that that brings.

Does that mean you don’t have to practise what you preach if you are well enough off?

I gave some examples about of when a body of people is disadvantaged by second home ownership. I didn’t really need to. We all know what the issues are. When over 3 million people have two of more homes, one or more of which are left empty most of the year while others cannot afford one permanent residence, then we have a problem.

But Rayner NOT buying an £800,000 second home will not make a jot of difference. She is NOT preventing a first time buyer from owning their first home - unless they are far wealther than the typical FTB funding a purchase themselves without inheritance or the bank of Mum and Dad.

She is NOT preventing someone in a rural community from finding and affording somewhere to live e.g. North Norfolk which has one of the highest percentage of properties which are not used as primary residences - considerably higher than the rest of the country.

In North Norfolk 11.6% or 1 in 9 homes is not a primary residence - compared to 6% or 1 in 17 in Cornwall. North Norfolk is almost on a par with Kensington & Chelsea for absentee owners. I well remember when the authorities were struggling desperately to find accommodation for survivors of the Grenfell fire. Meantime 1 in 8 houses in the borough were sitting empty owned by wealthy people who own multi-properties.

The corresponding numbers for Brighton & Hove are 4.5% or 1 in 22 properties not used as a primary residence.

Source Action on Empty Homes
static1.squarespace.com/static/6553693f7d629a133b6a4ece/t/67bd7360211925305f08bff7/1740469090176/2024LTEHand2ndsEnglandSORTbyLTEHoccurrenceEnglandREFERENCE.pdf

I have searched but cannot find anything in Hansard from Rayner about second homes. Perhaps someone else can. I found this from Matthew Pennycook who is the Minister for Housing (not Rayner) where he talks about the council tax premium and the possibiity of giving local authorities more powers to enable them to better respond to the pressures they face over second home ownership:

hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2025-01-20/debates/A04A24EE-2C3D-49F9-8D12-69EC8E882AEE/SecondHomesUseClass

Lathyrus3

IOMGran

Some individual MPs own sizable portfolios:

Nick Fletcher (Don Valley, Conservative) owns six houses and four flats—ten residential properties total—the largest known number among MPs
Wikipedia
.

Marco Longhi, who defected to Reform UK in 2025, is known to own 10 houses in Walsall
Wikipedia

Nigel Farage.
Investigative Reporting

Independent journalism sheds light on additional properties:

A £1 million family home in Kent (Downe) retained after his divorce.

Two beachside homes on the Kent coast (Lydd-on-Sea and Greatstone), owned via his company Thorn In The Side Limited.

A fourth house in Surrey, used as an investment property.

Express
InView.org.uk • Independent News
The Standard
Kent Online
Ido Business

When combined, these amount to four residential properties, forming what has been described as a “£3 million property empire” amassed since the Brexit referendum.

As far as I’m aware none of them have been in charge of a Government Department which has constantly deplored the negative effects and of people buying second homes.

That is the hypocrisy. Saying one thing and doing the opposite.

Agreed 👏👏

eazybee

^As many of you might say, it's expected of the Tories.^
Oh dear. Class envy again.
But it is not expected of a Labour Government, we hope they will practise what they preach - although we should have learned by now that it is not a typical.

Some are venal, some are not. Pretty equally spread through all parties.

No, certainly not class envy on my part (could you attribute your quote to the poster as that makes it clearer, please)
I was commenting on the fact that many have criticised Tory MPs for this kind of thing - and are still doing so.

The irony of the situation is lost somewhere (in the waves at Hove?).

But Rayner NOT buying an £800,000 second home will not make a jot of difference. She is NOT preventing a first time buyer from owning their first home - unless they are far wealther than the typical FTB funding a purchase themselves without inheritance or the bank of Mum and Dad.

Nougat I posted a link earlier which showed how Brighton Council has been concerned for some time about wealthy people from London purchasing second homes in Brighton and Hove, pushing up prices and making fairly ordinary properties unaffordable for local people who live and work there.

Allira, it is your post.17.17.02.
Rayner's behaviour is not good optics but I presume you meant it is what is expected of the Tories, but not the noble Labour Party.
Frankly, both are as venal as the other.
The block where her apartment is is Victorian, I think, and could have been turned into reasonable apartments for permanent residents, But like so many coastal resorts, expensive flats are created, way beyond the means of residents, then remain empty for two thirds of the year at least.
The point is, she doesn't need a third home; she has far too much work to do, or should be doing. From what I hear from someone who works there, she relies on her staff rather a lot.

lixy

‘Woman has house where she needs to be for work, uses work provided premises when she has to be at her primary place of work and buys a home for herself to use when she is not working.’
Sorry, I don’t see the shock horror.

Good answer

I’m a bit nonplussed at the comment that it’s ok because this flat was too expensive to be a first home anyway.

It’s hard to believe people don’t understand the downwards effect on property sales.

Also that it’s ok because, well, Norfolk is worse…….

🙄

eazybee

Allira, it is your post.17.17.02.
Rayner's behaviour is not good optics but I presume you meant it is what is expected of the Tories, but not the noble Labour Party.
Frankly, both are as venal as the other.
The block where her apartment is is Victorian, I think, and could have been turned into reasonable apartments for permanent residents, But like so many coastal resorts, expensive flats are created, way beyond the means of residents, then remain empty for two thirds of the year at least.
The point is, she doesn't need a third home; she has far too much work to do, or should be doing. From what I hear from someone who works there, she relies on her staff rather a lot.

No idea what you're getting at.

Don't presume what I mean, ig might be better to read it properly.

But like so many coastal resorts, expensive flats are created, way beyond the means of residents, then remain empty for two thirds of the year at least.
Isn't that just what I posted in the link?
And said in a later post:
I posted a link earlier which showed how Brighton Council has been concerned for some time about wealthy people from London purchasing second homes in Brighton and Hove, pushing up prices and making fairly ordinary properties unaffordable for local people who live and work there

As I said earlier, I know what those flats in the Victorian houses are like - I stayed in one but many years ago before they were modernised again. Large, lofty rooms, lovely views, two minutes from the sea etc.
That was before wealthy Londoners bought them and prices soared.

My gripe is the fact that it has been reported that the flat is a band D for council tax. My modest three bed house, worth less than half the price she paid, is graded band E!!

Liloldlady

My gripe is the fact that it has been reported that the flat is a band D for council tax. My modest three bed house, worth less than half the price she paid, is graded band E!!

I think whoever quoted that is wrong, l think it's Band B. The price she paid has widely been reported as £700K but it was £800K, sloppy reporting.

Mistlethrush

That paywall is a deterrent to reading the complete article. She is being targeted by the largely right wing press for an arrangement common to many Mp’s, especially Cabinet members with an official role. She has an official residence, her own home and a second home. No news here - just stirring the pot! Good luck to her! She has not forgotten those in need in spite of her personal success.

Like who in need?

Didn’t, Blair & his wife have a big, fat property portfolio? Seem to think they helped out all their children.

Well she has a very nice looking house she owns in her constituency, plus a flat in Admiralty Arch that we pay for, and now she has bought a flat in Brighton for £800,000 so that will be at least an £80,000 down payment for a mortgage.. thats 2 properties and one free job related one..shes admitted to being on benefits for ten years earlier and a job in a care home… Where on earth did. she get the money for it…And now Rachel R is starting to tax people who dare to have a second home..Not a good look for a socialist..

Oreo

Like most politicians Rayner will feather her own nest.

That’s a strange take on ‘feathering her nest’. She is a working class woman who has made good despite a difficult start in life, she has bought a second property in a place that she obviously likes, probably with an eye to the future. For now she has to keep her constituency home but I would imagine she will relocate to Hove eventually because she obviously likes it there. There are much better examples of politicians ‘feathering their nest’ such as Jeremy Hunt who ‘forgot’ he had purchased seven apartments in Southampton and benefited financially from the memory lapse, then there is Nigel Farage who has purchased four properties since Brexit, the most recent one purchased in his partner’s name because she was classed as a first time buyer and therefore paid a lower amount of stamp duty, we mustn’t overlook his numerous other ‘jobs’ either. Boris Johnson complained that he was broke then out of the blue purchased a £3.5 million home allegedly for cash. We have Esther McVey and her husband who manipulated expenses on a grand scale and Nadine Dorries who got paid for a year without any commitment to her job as an MP. Robert Jenrick helped property developer avoid £45 million in tax, presumably some sort of feathering the Jenrick nest was going on.

The witch hunt in the last few days over Angela Rayner’s second house purchase is an example of how nasty politics has become and DH and I have decided not to vote for the foreseeable future, we have voted in every election since 1964 but we are sick of the lies and nastiness. Just yesterday Kemi Badenoch tweeted ‘Rachel Thieves is going to use your family’s savings to fix her economic mistakes’ - puerile name calling and a blatant lie in one short tweet from the Leader Of The Opposition, even worse than Tice’s constant use of ‘net stupid zero’. Enough is definitely enough for us.