Original title: Starmer backs Rayner amid row over Hove flat
Starmer backs Rayner amid row over Hove flat 58 minutes ago Share Save Becky Morton Political reporter Share Save Getty Images Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has backed his deputy Angela Rayner, as she continues to face Tory criticism over the purchase of a flat in Hove. The Daily Telegraph reported she saved £40,000 in stamp duty when buying the £800,000 flat in East Sussex, after allegedly telling tax authorities it was her main home. However, she told the local council it was her second home - and pays a higher level of council tax there as a result. There is no suggestion she has broken any laws, but the Tories have accused her of hypocrisy and called for an investigation by the PM’s standards adviser. Sir Keir told the BBC he was “proud” of his deputy and that “talking her down” was “a big mistake”. A spokesperson for Rayner previously said she paid “the relevant duty” owed on the Hove property “entirely properly”. Asked earlier if Sir Keir had confidence in his deputy, the PM’s