UK deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has admitted she did not pay enough stamp duty on her second home and has considered resigning.
Ms Rayner, also the UK housing secretary, said she has referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards.
She said she had received inaccurate tax advice and had spoken to her family about quitting.
The housing secretary has been under intense pressure over her tax affairs after media reports about her purchase of a flat in Hove.
She was reported to have saved £40,000 (€46,000) in stamp duty on the flat because she removed her name from the deeds of a family property in her Ashton-under-Lyne constituency, meaning the Hove property is the only property she owns.
She told Sky’s Electoral Dysfunction podcast: “I’ve been in shock, really, because I thought I’d done everything properly, and I relied on the advice that I received and I’m devastated because I’ve always upheld the rules and always have felt proud to do that.
“That it is devastating for me and the fact that the reason why those confidential clauses were in place was to protect my son, who, through no fault of his own, he’s vulnerable, he’s got this life-changing, lifelong conditions and I don’t want him or anything to do with his day-to-day life, to be subjected to that level of scrutiny because it’s his and my ex-husband that is … it’s not fair on them.
“Often my family [are] dragged in because of what my role is and what I do,” she said.
“But I try to uphold the high standards, and that’s why I’ve referred myself so that the independent advice can look at everything.”
Pressed again on whether she had considered standing down, Ms Rayner said she had “spoken to my family about it” and “the number one priority for me and my ex-husband has always been to support our children and do the best thing for our children”.
Prime minister Keir Starmer said he was proud to sit alongside Ms Rayner, as he faced calls to sack her from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch at prime minister’s questions.
Ms Badenoch said: “I also welcome the fact that the deputy prime minister has referred herself to the ethics adviser. She has admitted that she underpaid tax. So why is she still in office?”
Mr Starmer replied: “(Ms Rayner) has explained her personal circumstances in detail. She’s gone over and above in setting out the details, including yesterday afternoon asking a court to lift the confidentiality order in relation to her own son.
“I know from speaking at length with the deputy prime minister, just how difficult that decision was for her and her family, but she did it to ensure that all the information is in the public domain.”
He continued: “I can be clear, I am very proud to sit alongside a deputy prime minister who is building 1.5 million homes, who is bringing the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights for a generation, and has come from a working class background to be deputy prime minister.”
Ms Badenoch said: “I’m not sure we would have heard all that sympathy if it was a Conservative deputy prime minister who had underpaid her tax. I remember when the prime minister said tax evasion is a criminal offence, and should be treated as all other fraud. If he had a backbone he would sack her.”
– PA