Kwasi Kwarteng has said Angela Rayner will be a "living example of the hypocrisy of the Government" if she stays in her position.

Speaking to GB News, the ex-Chancellor questioned the "expertise" the Deputy Prime Minister received regarding stamp duty on her property purchase.

Discussing the controversy in an interview earlier today, Ms Rayner admitted that the accusations that she didn't pay stamp duty were "accurate".

However, she added that she "deeply regrets" her error and is "committed to resolving this matter fully and providing the transparency that public service demands".

Kwasi Kwarteng has declared Angela Rayner's position is 'untenable' after tax affairs 'hypocrisy'

Delivering his verdict on the scandal, Mr Kwarteng told GB News: "There are so many things that have gone wrong in this.

"Firstly, the stamp duty question, most people just look on the internet. You've got internet calculators before you buy your house to ask, what tax do I pay on this? You don't need a lawyer.

"I'd be very interested to see the lawyer’s advice, frankly. And then secondly, there's the rank hypocrisy.

"I remember she was calling for Tory ministers heads, not just Nadhim Zahawi, but Dominic Raab and others for falling foul, for falling short on standards, and she's done exactly the same thing relating to tax that she lambasted Zahawi for."

Casting doubt on Ms Rayner's future in her current role in Government, he added: "I think her position is untenable.

"I'm sure we'll go through a merry dance and the Prime Minister says, oh, I'm going to stick by her and all of that. But I think that her position is very, very difficult.

"And if she stays, she'll just be a living example of the hypocrisy of the government and I think politically, her staying will be even more damaging than if she were to resign."

Angela Rayner has admitted wrongdoing over her tax affairs

Pointing out the "double standard" of Ms Rayner's operations further, Mr Kwarteng argued: "If a Tory cabinet minister was in this position, she'd be the first to call for their head. So clearly, there's a double standard here - hypocrisy.

"I'd be very interested to see the advice, because the way lawyers frame advice, it's not often very clear cut.

"And I'd be very interested to see what they actually said to her. She's obviously hiding behind that as a kind of bunker mentality. She was going to cling on to anything to defend her position."

Criticising the Deputy Prime Minister for seeking legal advice on the matter, the ex-Chancellor explained: "But to me it's very straightforward. You have one main residence, and you pay a certain amount of stamp duty. And then if you buy another house, you pay a different rate of stamp duty. It's that clear.

"And if he wanted more clarity, as I said, there are lots and lots of websites that can make these calculations all the time.

"People do that all the time when they're about to buy their usually main property."

Mr Kwarteng told GB News that Ms Rayner will become a 'living example of Government hypocrisy' if she stays

Hitting out at Ms Rayner's hypocrisy further, Mr Kwarteng told GB News: "But there's actually a lot more serious stuff underpinning this.

"The fact that she was going after Zahawi when he did what he did and now is coming up with this rather pathetic excuse - I mean, she looked like a sixth former, a kind of year 10 person, just making excuses.

“Now she's trying to hide behind legal advice. We haven't seen the legal advice, so we don't know what to make of it."

He concluded: "And the fact is she's robbed the exchequer, in her metaphor, of £40,000 and she's going to have to pay a penalty of £12,000 for not having paid the right tax.

"And to be a senior cabinet minister, it is hard. To be a senior cabinet minister and fall so far short of any kind of standards I think means that her position is untenable."