Well it was more a general comment but actually legal or not, I'm not sure the optics of prominent left figures exploiting tax loopholes (if that's what she did) are that great.
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But she didn’t exploit a tax loophole. She paid SDLT on the only house she owned just like I did , probably you did , and probably many readers of the Telegraph did! If anything it’s arguable that she paid MORE council tax than she could have done. But “woman pays tax” isn’t a headline!
aug 30, 2025, 6:32 am • 0 0 • view
Ok. Presumably she rents her constituency residence? She only owns the Hove one, right?
aug 30, 2025, 6:48 am • 0 0 • view
The “constituency residence” is owned by her ex-husband as a consequence of her divorce, as I understand it. Unless someone is arguing that the divorce is a tax loophole, I struggle to see the issue.
aug 30, 2025, 7:04 am • 1 0 • view
So she pays nothing to live somewhere frequently enough that it can be stated as her main residence? That's convenient. Tbh I don't really care, I'm just being an arse while I decide what to do today. We can stop now.
aug 30, 2025, 7:09 am • 0 0 • view
Facts, eh?
aug 30, 2025, 7:12 am • 0 0 • view
You'll recall the part where I said that the optics weren't great regardless of the rights and wrongs. Most people aren't in a position to juggle settings on two homes.
aug 30, 2025, 7:17 am • 0 0 • view
But where’s the juggling? She didn’t own two houses and the reason for that is she got divorced and transferred the property to her ex-husband as a result, presumably as part of the settlement as her children lived there. This happens all the time!
aug 30, 2025, 7:20 am • 0 0 • view
5yrs after the event, and just before the Hove purchase. That's what creates the story. Is it also normal in such cases that you still spend a lot of time in the house you lost as part of the divorce?
aug 30, 2025, 7:26 am • 0 0 • view
5 years after separating. I understand the divorce isn’t final yet. So nothing unusual in spending time in that house pending divorce particularly as her kids lived there. also nothing unusual in transferring ownership as part of a divorce settlement. In other news, water is wet!
aug 30, 2025, 9:48 am • 0 0 • view
So we're agreed the right wing press will jump on the tiniest thing to stir the pot? Once again I'm suggesting the optics aren't ideal and in general political figures need to work harder to avoid these situations. We've seen it all before.
aug 30, 2025, 10:52 am • 1 0 • view