Labour's Tax Crackdown Plan Met with Ridicule Amid Angela Rayner Controversy

Labour Unveils £5 Billion Tax Gap Reduction Plan

Labour faced ridicule after announcing a crackdown on tax dodgers, with Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiling a plan to raise £5 billion a year by reducing the tax gap. This difference is the amount that should be collected versus what is actually collected.

Investment in Compliance Officers at HMRC

The party plans to invest up to £555 million a year to increase the number of compliance officers at HMRC. However, experts criticized the plans as wishy-washy.

Angela Rayner Controversy

The tax crackdown announcement comes as Deputy Leader Angela Rayner faces questions about her own financial affairs, specifically regarding potential capital gains tax avoidance on a 2015 house sale. Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves denied that Rayner is a tax avoider, stating that she believes Rayner paid the correct amount of tax on the property sale a decade ago.

Response from Party Leaders

Despite the controversy, Angela Rayner denies any wrongdoing and has the support of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who dismissed claims of tax dodging as unimportant. However, Treasury minister Nigel Huddleston criticized the situation, highlighting a double standard in tax rules.