“Why do we land on this northern woman who had an arrangement with her husband, a blended family?” he asked the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
“Why do we focus on her and say that she should be the exception? She shouldn’t be the exception, she hasn’t broken any rules. This is because of the May elections and the Tories not wanting to concentrate on their actions.”
James Daly, a deputy chairman of the Conservative party, led renewed criticism of Ms Rayner this weekend and called on Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, to launch “a full transparent and independent investigation” into his deputy’s tax affairs.
“She should stop dismissing and distracting and come clean now,” Mr Daly said.
Ms Rayner has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and insisted she will only publish her independent tax advice, which she claims makes clear that she has acted appropriately, if Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt do the same.
The Telegraph understands she has handed the advice over to senior Labour officials, who have gone through it line by line.
But Ms Rayner told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme last month she would not disclose its contents “because that’s my personal tax advice”, while clarifying she would “comply with the necessary authorities that want to see that”.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
