Raising a GIANT glass to a war on the middle classes? Rayner is snapped sipping rosé in £165 Dryrobe

Angela Rayner may be planning to soak the middle classes with her new council tax reforms, but judging from these exclusive photos, she clearly intends to stay warm and dry herself.

The Deputy PM’s plan to hit Middle England with a hefty hike in council tax has already met a wave of opposition, but she seemed unconcerned as she sipped a glass of rosé on the beach, snuggled up in a £165 Dryrobe.

The scene might not have fitted with Ms Rayner’s ‘woman of the people’ image, but she was clearly enjoying herself with a small group of friends on Hove beachfront on Monday evening.

The impromptu party came just before news broke of Ms Rayner’s (appropriately named) ‘Plan For Change’ assault on middle class homeowners by reforming the council tax system and forcing householders in the countryside to subsidise residents of cities.

The move was branded ‘spiteful’ by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

An onlooker said he wouldn’t have even noticed the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government if it hadn’t been for her companions constantly scanning the beach for cameras.

‘I guess she must have been in for a dip, but I only noticed her when the wine came out and she was already in her Dryrobe, and her friends started looking furtively around the beach,’ said the eyewitness.

The image with glass of rosé in one hand, wrapped in the garishly coloured robe, may not have met with the approval of Ms Rayner’s aides, but it’s not quite in the same league as John Prescott playing croquet.

Angela Rayner was pictured sipping a glass of rosé on Hove beach on Monday evening

Angela Rayner was pictured sipping a glass of rosé on Hove beach on Monday evening 

The Deputy PM seemed unconcerned despite her council tax reforms being met with a wave of opposition

The Deputy PM seemed unconcerned despite her council tax reforms being met with a wave of opposition

It comes after Ms Rayner was snapped raving behind a DJ deck in Ibiza

It comes after Ms Rayner was snapped raving behind a DJ deck in Ibiza 

And it’s not the first time fun-loving Angela has been photographed letting her hair down – last October she was snapped raving behind a DJ deck in Ibiza, belting out the lyrics to a remix of Gotye’s hit Somebody That I Used to Know.

At the time she said: ‘I won’t apologise for taking a day off.’

Ms Rayner doesn’t apologise for very much – it took her about a month to say sorry for famously calling Tories ‘scum’ in 2021.

According to reports, the newly planned Rayner tax raid will mean that middle-class families in rural areas will face an extra £376 in council tax on average.

The County Councils Network (CCN) has warned that leafy towns and villages will ‘foot the bill’ for a planned overhaul of local finances, hitting households in wealthier places such as the Home Counties.

According to the CCN, which represents local authorities outside of big cities, a family in a band D countryside property will see their annual council tax bills rise to £2,756 by 2029, up from £2,380 at current rates.

Ms Rayner wants residents of middle class rural areas to pay more in council tax to help fund services in poorer neighbourhoods.

The CCN forecast that local authorities in rural areas would have to increase council tax by the maximum rate of 5 per cent over the next three years.

According to reports, the new planned Rayner tax raid will mean that middle-class families in rural areas will face an extra £376 in council tax on average

According to reports, the new planned Rayner tax raid will mean that middle-class families in rural areas will face an extra £376 in council tax on average

The County Councils Network (CCN) has warned that leafy towns and villages will 'foot the bill' for a planned overhaul of local finances

The County Councils Network (CCN) has warned that leafy towns and villages will ‘foot the bill’ for a planned overhaul of local finances

Ms Rayner wants residents of middle class rural areas to pay more in council tax to help fund services in poorer neighbourhoods

Ms Rayner wants residents of middle class rural areas to pay more in council tax to help fund services in poorer neighbourhoods

While money would flow to the cities, the CCN said this would lead to less money for local authorities in the country – despite their households facing higher council tax bills.

As part of its research, it found that £1.6bn in council tax income from dozens of rural authorities would be effectively redistributed to other parts of the country, including major towns and cities in the North.

Surrey County Council stands to be the biggest loser from the overhaul, according to the CCN.

A spokesman for Ms Rayner’s department said: ‘We do not recognise this analysis. The current, outdated way in which local authorities are funded has left communities behind and damaged local services.

‘This must change and is why we are taking decisive action as part of our Plan for Change to reform the funding system so we can improve public services, while maintaining the previous government’s referendum threshold on council tax rises so taxpayers have the final say and are protected from excessive increases.’

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