The Daily Mail's front page reported that UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed calls for an investigation into his chancellor of the exchequer, after she apologized for renting out her family home without the necessary permission. Rachel Reeves wrote to the prime minister, offering a "sincere" apology for the "mistake" first reported by the Daily Mail.

The newspaper said that when the chancellor moved into No. 11 Downing Street, she rented her family home in Dorking, but did not realize she needed a "selective license" to do so.

Some London boroughs require private landlords to obtain specific types of licenses when renting out property — including the Southwark Borough Council, where Mrs. Reeves lives.

The newspaper said she has now applied for the license, but the Conservatives are calling for an investigation. A spokesperson for Ms. Reeves said: "Since becoming chancellor, Rachel Reeves has rented out her family home through a letting agent. She was not aware she needed a license, but as soon as she learned of the requirement, she took immediate action and applied for the license. 'This was an unintentional mistake, and in the spirit of transparency, she has informed the prime minister, the independent ministerial standards adviser, and the parliamentary standards commissioner.'

This comes weeks before Ms. Reeves is set to present the budget on November 26.

It is reported that she is considering a range of tax increases, including a new tax on sales of properties worth more than £500,000 to replace stamp duty.

Under this proposal, the tax liability would fall on the seller rather than the buyer.

It is understood that the minister is considering an annual charge of 1% on the portion of property value exceeding £2 million — for a house worth £3 million, that would be £10,000 per year. Another proposal is to impose capital gains tax (CGT) on the amount of appreciation during the period of ownership when someone sells their main residence. The report said this measure may apply only to the most expensive properties, with a possible threshold of £1.5 million, affecting about 120,000 homeowners.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847448624054272/

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