Angela Rayner's odds of becoming the next Labour leader have taken a dramatic plunge - as police launched an investigation into whether she broke electoral law over the sale of her house.
Rayner faces pressure over claims that she may have broken electoral law by registering at the wrong address more than a decade ago - and owed capital gains tax on the sale of a house.
The deputy leader was once 3/1 favourite to succeed Sir Keir Starmer but her odds have dramatically dropped to 41/1 on Saturday morning - down from 29/1 overnight..
Angela Rayner was still facing questions last night about her property dealings and whether any required tax was paid.
The Labour deputy leader is being investigated over claims she wrongly declared on the electoral roll she was living at a council house she bought under right to buy in Stockport.
Angela Rayner has accused the Conservative party of attempting to ‘smear’ her and insisted that controversy over her tax affairs is ‘manufactured’
Ms Rayner bought former council house in Vicarage Road, Stockport, in 2007. She was listed at the time as Angela Bowen on the roll, but changed it in 2013. Her husband and brother meanwhile were listed on register at Lowndes Lane
Shabana Mahmood, the shadow justice secretary, defended the Labour leader but dodged questions about why Sir Keir had still not seen his deputy's legal advice.
The Labour deputy leader lashed out as she faced jibes from Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden and other Tory MPs in the Commons, as they stood in for Mr Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said her 'brilliant' superior would co-operate fully with any police or tax probe into two homes she owned in Manchester a decade ago.
Matt Finnegan, Angela Rayner's former chief adviser, has given a statement to Greater Manchester Police.
Labour's Angela Rayner attacks the government's housing record but faces jibes over her own living arrangements.