Defence Secretary John Healey is confronting significant political embarrassment after it emerged he failed to pay the full council tax on his Westminster second home, resulting in an underpayment of nearly £1,500.
The Administrative Error Explained
The controversy stems from what Westminster Council has described as an 'administrative error' and 'oversight'. Following the introduction of the second home council charge surcharge this year, the annual bill for Mr Healey's Westminster flat effectively doubled to £2,938. A spokesman for the Defence Secretary confirmed that Mr Healey had notified the local authority that the property was a second home when his tenancy began in November last year.
However, the council billed him as if it was his primary residence, charging only half the amount due. Westminster Council has fully accepted fault for this mistake, apologising for the error and confirming that the Secretary of State had filled in the registration form correctly. Mr Healey has now paid the full sum owed, including the second homes surcharge.
Political Fallout and Tory Criticism
The incident has provided ammunition for the Conservative Party, which has seized upon it as evidence of hypocrisy within the Labour government. Tory Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake launched a sharp attack, stating: 'Whether it’s the anti-corruption minister being investigated for corruption, the homelessness minister who evicted her own tenants, or the housing secretary who failed to pay her stamp duty, with this Government it is one rule for them and another for everyone else.'
Mr Hollinrake emphasised the timing, noting 'the Labour Government is hiking council tax bills for everyone else across the country' while this underpayment occurred. He demanded that Mr Healey 'come clean about what he knew and when', questioning how the public could trust senior ministers to run the country if they cannot manage their own tax affairs.
Broader Context for Labour
This episode is particularly awkward for Labour as it represents the latest in a series of financial conduct questions facing senior figures. The party has recently seen Rachel Reeves face calls to quit after breaking the law by failing to acquire the necessary licence to rent out her south London home. Meanwhile, Angela Rayner resigned as deputy prime minister in September after it emerged she had failed to pay approximately £40,000 in stamp duty on an £800,000 property in Hove.
An ally of Mr Healey defended the minister, noting there could have been no financial gain from the underpayment as the council tax on his London flat is covered by his MP expenses. Mr Healey's main home is in his South Yorkshire constituency, where he has lived for decades, with the Westminster property serving as a base when working in London.
The second home surcharge that triggered this situation was actually introduced by the last Conservative government and has been adopted by more than 200 councils since coming into force in April this year.
