Tories call for investigation as Reeves admits rental 'mistake'

The Conservatives person called for an probe aft Rachel Reeves enactment her household location up for rent without obtaining the indispensable licence.

The Daily Mail reported that the chancellor rented her household location successful Dulwich erstwhile she moved into Number 11 Downing Street, but was unaware she had to get a licence to bash so.

Some London boroughs necessitate backstage landlords to get a circumstantial benignant of licence if they are putting their spot up for rent - including Southwark Council, wherever Ms Reeves' location is listed.

The paper said Ms Reeves had present applied for a licence.

A spokesperson for Ms Reeves said: "Since becoming chancellor, Rachel Reeves has rented retired her household location done a lettings agency.

"She had not been made alert of the licensing requirement, but arsenic soon arsenic it was brought to her attention, she took contiguous enactment and has applied for the licence.

"This was an inadvertent mistake and successful the tone of transparency, she has made the premier minister, the autarkic advisor connected ministerial standards and the parliamentary commissioner for standards aware."

It is understood that Sir Laurie Magnus, the morals adviser, has not launched an probe into Ms Reeves.

Tory person Kemi Badenoch said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer indispensable motorboat a afloat investigation.

The improvement comes weeks earlier Ms Reeves delivers her fund connected 26 November.

She is rumoured to beryllium considering a bid of taxation hikes, including a caller taxation connected the merchantability of homes worthy much than £500,000 to regenerate stamp duty.

Read more:
What taxation rises and spending cuts could Reeves announce?
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Under the proposal, sellers, alternatively of buyers, would beryllium liable for paying the tax.

The chancellor is understood to beryllium looking astatine an yearly 1% complaint connected the magnitude a property's worth exceeds £2m - a £10,000-a-year levy for homes worthy £3m.

Another connection would spot superior gains taxation (CGT) charged erstwhile idiosyncratic sells their main home, based connected the magnitude it has accrued successful worth during ownership.

Reports suggest this would lone beryllium applied to the astir costly properties, with a imaginable threshold of £1.5m, which would impact astir 120,000 homeowners and higher-rate taxpayers getting CGT bills of astir £200,000.