Angela Rayner’s admission that she underpaid stamp duty on her flat in Hove dominates Thursday’s papers. The Financial Times says the deputy prime minister “fights for political survival” after admitting she incorrectly paid a lower tax rate on the £800,000 seaside apartment. The paper says Rayner has referred herself to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s ethics adviser after days of denials. Elsewhere, “China’s roar” of military might is featured in a picture of soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army marching in unison.
“Rayner in peril” echoes the Guardian. The paper says the PM is standing by his deputy, but has faced criticism after Downing Street refused to say when he had been told about Rayner’s situation. Accompanying the story is a picture of the deputy PM during her interview with Sky News on Wednesday, during which she said she “did not try to dodge any tax”.
“Is Starmer so spineless that he won’t sack his deputy PM?” asks the Daily Mail. The paper lists the scandal as part of “another day in Labour’s social utopia”.
The Telegraph says the independent adviser on ministerial standards, Sir Laurie Magnus, will now conduct a “fast-tracked” investigation and could interview Rayner before the weekend. The paper also features more quotes from her interview with Sky News, in which she said she was “devastated” and has always “upheld the rules”.
The PM will do “everything he can” to save Rayner, reports the Times. The paper quotes a senior ally of Sir Keir who says the PM has genuine sympathy for her position. But the ally acknowledges that if the report from the investigation were sufficiently damning, then the PM would have no choice by to sack Rayner, the Times says.
“A no-Rayner” is the Metro’s take on the deputy PM’s scandal. The paper quotes Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch calling for the PM to remove Rayner: “If he had a backbone, he would sack her.” Sharing the top spot, Chinese President Xi Jinping is dubbed “Mr Missile”, as the paper reports on his “huge display of force” for Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Wednesday’s parade.
The Daily Express also spotlights Badenoch’s comments on the PM. The paper says Sir Keir is facing “mounting pressure” to fire Rayner over the scandal. Elsewhere, the paper teases revelations from Freddie Mercury’s secret daughter.
The Daily Star also headlines their coverage with a question: “How long can stamp duty row deputy PM remain?”
“3 pads, zero excuses” declares the Sun. The paper reports on the backlash from Conservatives on Rayner’s admission, saying her “endless list of excuses do not stack up”.
Finally, the Mirror leads with the “fury” over the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein saga. The paper features Virginia Guiffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, calling for files on the sex offender to be released. Guiffre, who died in April, was one of the Duke of York’s accusers. Prince Andrew has consistently denied all the allegations against him.
