GB News' Patrick Christys says what everyone is thinking about Angela Rayner

Patrick Christys has described Angela Rayner's situation as "untenable" following the Deputy Prime Minister's admission of underpaying stamp duty. The politician said she had been given incorrect legal advice which led to her underpaying tax when buying an £800,000 flat in Hove back in May. She paid approximately £30,000 in standard stamp duty on the property. However, as she already effectively owned another home, she should have paid the higher second-home rate - nearer to £70,000. Speaking in an interview on Sky News, Ms Rayner admitted to underpaying £40,000 in stamp duty on the second home, insisting it was her main residence after putting her Ashton-under-Lyme property into a trust for her disabled son.

Patrick detailed the unfolding scandal on GB News, telling viewers: "Angela Rayner used £160,000 from a trust set up to care for her disabled son to buy the £800,000 seafront flat at the front of a sleaze enquiry. The Deputy Prime Minister sold a 25 per cent share of her house in Ashton-under-Lyme to that trust for £162,500. She said on Wednesday that her son, who was born prematurely, had received an award in 2020 and a trust was then set up to look after his interests."

He continued: "Bear that in mind - his interests. The Telegraph understands that the payout followed what was an eleven-year legal battle waged between Angela Rayner and her then-husband the hospital where her son was born.

"Sources suggested that the NHS had paid compensation following difficulties during his birth and subsequent care back in 2008. Final payments for some of these awards can take years to be made because it's a lengthy process for assessing long term damage."

Patrick said it is "unclear" how much money was paid out as part of those damages claims, but noted "it was clearly sufficient for the trust to buy Ms Rayner's share at the end of January of this year, that share of her house".

The presenter went on: "She then used that money as a deposit on the flat in Hove that she purchased in May this year, on which she now has a £650,000 mortgage. However, she only paid £30,000 in stamp duty rather than £70,000 that should've been paid in tax when purchasing a second home."

Issuing a brutal blow to the politician, Patrick quipped: "That's why she was very close to crying her heart out with Beth Rigby this morning."

After explaining that Ms Rayner attributed the stamp duty error to legal advice, Patrick claimed it would be difficult for her to "plead ignorance" regarding the rules.

He added: "However, really, as the secretary of state for housing, which she is, I think it might be difficult for her to plead ignorance when it comes to stamp duty rules in relation to housing."

The presenter then posed the question: "I suppose the question marks really are, can she survive this? Because it would appear in the court of public opinion at least, that while she might not have necessarily done anything illegal, this becomes pretty much untenable. I think it was untenable before this latest revelation came out."