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WATCH: Tory Chairman blasts Rachel Reeves for 'changing her story' on rental scandal
Oct 31, 2025
Sir Keir Starmer has been told to "show some backbone" and launch a full investigation into Rachel Reeves over her rental scandal revelations.Speaking to GB News, Conservative Party Chairman Kevin Hollinrake hit out at the Chancellor for "changing her story" over the absence of her landlord licence.FULL STORY HERE.
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0:00
Kevin, good to see you this morning
0:02
Clearly there is a mess for the government around the Chancellor and what is being described by some as perhaps a cover-up
0:10
over this whole rental scandal. What needs to happen now, from your perspective
0:18
Well, the Prime Minister needs to show some backbone and instruct whoever he thinks is most appropriate
0:24
to carry out a full investigation. Rachel Reeves' problem here is that her story has changed
0:32
And, of course, Rachel Reeves in the past has called for others to resign when they've broken the law and their story has changed
0:40
So on Wednesday she said she didn't know she needed a selective licence
0:44
which not getting one is a criminal offence. If it was an honest mistake, she didn't know
0:49
But then the next day, email surfaced saying, actually, we did know
0:54
we just didn't make sure it happened. So there are real questions to answer here for Rachel Reeves
1:00
Why didn't she give a full account of the situation on Wednesday
1:04
She now changed her story on that. So we think it's only right that an independent person
1:11
carries out a full investigation. The Prime Minister is completely within the Prime Minister gift to make sure that happens so that he can say full due process has been followed And we get the transparency he always promised us when he been speaking about these issues in the past
1:28
And if there were to be a full investigation and it were to be found that she's broken the law, does she need to be sacked
1:35
Well, it depends on the circumstances. If it was an adverse and error, as she claims
1:40
if it was simply the agent didn't do what she asked them to do, which is what she claimed her second version of the story
1:47
if it was an innocent mistake, then I personally think that's not a resigning offence
1:52
But if it clearly is something that she knows she should have done
1:56
and just didn't, and there are some real questions to answer, these things cost £900
2:02
Every other person in that area has to pay them who rents out their property. It's a pool system, so that money goes into a system
2:10
that then makes sure rogue landlords are properly held to account. And she avoided doing that, then she is in trouble
2:19
But we don't know that until the investigation has taken place. Forgive me
2:24
I mean, although you can say, right, it might be, in essence, the potential is it could have been a small
2:30
and non misdemeanour if you like But the point is that there now appears to have been some sort of cover now either from her or from her husband
2:44
We don't know, we don't know what they talk about. But clearly they were aware that this licence was necessary
2:51
and they didn't get one. At what point does her position become untenable
2:57
especially when, in four weeks, she's going to be standing at the dispatch box
3:01
delivering a pretty disastrous budget, well, certainly in terms of tax rises and all the rest of it
3:07
that we're expecting to break manifesto pledges? I think her position becomes untenable
3:13
if it's established that she clearly did know and she just didn't make sure it happened
3:19
Now, the story's not clear from what we've seen so far. The most worrying aspect of this, I think
3:24
is everybody seems to take Rachel Reeves at her word despite the fact her word keeps changing
3:30
And indeed, in the past, she's been guilty of a changing story in terms of her CV, for example
3:36
So I think it's not good enough for the Prime Minister to simply say, oh, no, Rachel, that's fine
3:41
It's regrettable, but fine. But you light on the most important point, is that Rachel Reeves has destroyed confidence in our economy
3:51
And that why the economy is not growing And that why people are feeling nervous about the future because they don know what in her budget to come she always said she wouldn increase taxes when she was in opposition
4:02
she did to the tune of about 40 billion pounds a year and an additional 30 billion pounds of borrowing
4:08
that's her last budget if she raises taxes again she faces the act in our view she should have to
4:14
resign there's no way in the world that she can make those statements in terms of how she'll manage
4:19
the economy and then do something completely different. I think in those circumstances
4:23
if she has to raise tax again to fill her own black hole, she needs to resign
4:28
Well, it is being briefed out that she is eyeing up a two pence rise in income tax on
4:33
that budget on the 26th of November. It would be breaking that manifesto pledge not to do
4:39
so. What do you make of those reports? Well, I think this is consistent with what's happening in Parliament. You saw Kimmy Baird
4:46
back in April asked the Prime Minister would he rule out rises in income tax VAT
4:52
and national insurance. He just came back with one answer, yes, and then smoked and sat down
4:58
Kimmy Beardnock asked exactly the same question this week and he failed to give the same assurances
5:04
So I think we can see this is coming and if she does break that manifesto pledge
5:08
she should resign. And the Prime Minister is in trouble as well in our view because that is a clear breach of previous commitments
5:15
Yeah
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