Tory who reported Rayner to police yet again fails to explain what she’s done wrong
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During a live TV interview, a Conservative Member of Parliament engaged in a heated argument with one of his colleagues after causing a controversy by reporting Angela Rayner to the police for selling her former council house. Despite being asked multiple times, he refused to specify what crimes he believed the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party had committed, causing further tension.
During a tense exchange on Sky News after Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, James Daly, the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, claimed that Chris Bryant had been "shouting" over him. He also accused Bryant of making various public allegations in the past.
There was a dispute because news came out that the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was continuing its probe into Ms Rayner. The investigation would now include an examination of whether she skimped on the correct amount of taxes owed on her old property in Stockport, sold prior to her becoming an MP. This was in addition to the investigation on whether she registered herself accurately at the appropriate address.
Mr Daly asked Mr Bryant to speak louder, as he was interrupted in the middle of responding to a question about what Ms Rayner may have done wrong.
Chris behaves loudly and makes public accusations, while my approach is different. My intention is to acknowledge that an accusation has been reported to the police, and they are currently investigating it. Therefore, it is best to allow the authorities the necessary time and space to carry out their investigations.
Mr Daly, who is responsible for representing the red wall area of Bury North in Greater Manchester, refused to answer the same question twice this week. He had previously urged the police to investigate by sending a letter to GMP expressing his concerns, after the force had originally concluded that Ms Rayner did not have a case to answer.
He sent a letter to the police department to notify them that Ms Rayner's neighbors had given conflicting statements regarding her claim that a different property, not owned by her husband, was where she spent most of her time. After receiving this information, GMP decided to launch an inquiry into the matter.
On Tuesday's episode of the Daily Politics show on BBC, Mr Daly was asked a question that he chose not to respond to on three separate occasions. He instead replied, "Last week, Greater Manchester Police stated that they are currently looking into multiple issues related to this matter. Therefore, I believe it is appropriate to let their investigation continue." The exchange was uncomfortable for those involved.
The disagreement caused by the examination carried out by ex-Conservative Party deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft for his recently published book, "Red Queen: The Unauthorised Biography of Angela Rayner," has been brought up during PMQs and seems to be a long-standing issue.
Keir Starmer has criticized Rishi Sunak, saying that he is attempting to disgrace a woman from the working class. This came after the prime minister advised the Labour leader to read his deputy's tax advice instead of reading a book written by former prime minister Liz Truss.
Ms Rayner has maintained her innocence and promised to step down if she is found to be guilty of any wrongdoing. She has claimed that the accusations against her are unfounded and are just a ploy by the Conservative Party to damage both her and the Labour Party prior to the local elections scheduled for May 2nd.
A former member of the Conservative Party who worked in the government has sided with well-known individuals to support Ms Rayner. Nick Boles, who served as a Member of Parliament for nine years, criticized the intense investigation into the sale of Ms Rayner's previous council residence. The investigation also questioned whether she evaded paying the appropriate taxes or if she was registered at the proper location.
He expressed that the Conservative party's criticism towards Angela Rayner is extremely hypocritical and disturbing to see. Additionally, former Conservative MP, Matthew Parris, criticized the way in which the Labour MP has been relentlessly targeted. He deemed it "unfair, aggressive and pretentious" and does not align with the mistakes she may or may not have made.
Nazir Afzal, a former leading prosecutor, has announced that the crown prosecutor will not be taking any legal action against Ms Rayner, judging from the available information accessible to the general public.
