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United Kingdom Foreign Minister David Lammy was on Friday appointed as the country’s new deputy prime minister, replacing Angela Rayner, who stepped down amid a tax controversy.

Earlier this week, Rayner acknowledged that she had not paid the correct amount of tax on her flat in Hove, on England’s south coast.

The issue concerns stamp duty, a tax applied to property purchases in the United Kingdom, with higher rates on expensive homes and second properties. Reports suggest that Rayner avoided around £40,000 in stamp duty.

In a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Rayner admitted she “did not meet the highest standards” and would resign from her roles as housing minister and deputy leader of the Labour Party.

Rayner, who also serves as Housing Secretary in the Labour government, had gained a reputation for outspoken criticism of individuals seeking to reduce their tax obligations, particularly during the previous Conservative administration that the Labour Party replaced in July 2024.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Starmer noted that Rayner would continue to “play a major role in our party.”

(SOURCE – Shafaq)