Chris Packham has come under fire for supposed “hypocrisy” after he shared a minute-long video defending Angela Rayner on Thursday night.
The BBC presenter’s passionate backing of the Deputy Prime Minister comes amid a pivotal time in her political career as her future within the Labour Party hangs in the balance.
Ms Rayner has found herself at the centre of controversy following allegations that she avoided paying approximately £40,000 in additional charges typically applied to second property purchases.
She maintains that she received guidance from three separate legal professionals before completing the transaction – one conveyancer and two trust law specialists who allegedly confirmed her payment calculations were accurate.
Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser, is preparing an assessment of whether Ms Rayner breached ministerial standards.
His report could arrive as soon as today and will examine if adequate steps were taken to secure proper legal counsel, particularly considering a trust arrangement established for her disabled son’s benefit.
Following the saga, Ms Rayner has faced calls from far and wide to resign, with Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch calling for Sir Keir Starmer to dismiss his deputy if she doesn’t step down.
But Ms Rayner has also received plenty of support, including from wildlife presenter Packham, although his defence of the politician hasn’t been met without its fair share of ridicule.
Mr Packham shared the video on X, in which he said to his 589.9k followers: “Hello, I’ve just been watching the news, and someone that I know is in a spot of bother, and I’m bound to empathise with that, because I’m often in a spot of bother myself.
“There’s a bit of a witch hunt going on. Well, there’s lots of witch hunts, because we’re making witches to hunt them, which doesn’t seem the right order of things from my perspective.
“But this person is someone whom I’ve known for some time, and whose values I trust.
“We share a commonality; we grew up in a working-class background, and I believe that they went into public service because they wanted to deliver in that regard.
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“I think that to lose them at this point would be foolish, because at this point, we need to keep our friends, because in the very near future, it seems, we might have some very real enemies.”
Within moments of sharing the clip, the Springwatch star found himself inundated with replies from social media users openly mocking his stance on the matter.
One X user penned: “‘Tax evasion is OK when my friends do it’… ‘I, Chris Packham, should be the person who gets to decide where the law does and does not apply’… And it’s definitely not two-tier justice. That’s a fascist slur.”
A second pointed out: “You don’t get to decide what’s right or wrong, Chris. Knowing someone isn’t evidence.”
There’s a witch hunt happening in the media right now aimed at someone I know to be a person of real integrity – someone whose values I share . It’s not right , and we all know the motivations of those behind the briefings and the headlines . . . pic.twitter.com/GvJKeE1jjp
— Chris Packham (@ChrisGPackham) September 4, 2025
Meanwhile, a third fumed: “Whenever we have a politician in trouble, their supporters come out and cry about how unfair it is. But they are usually the very same people who jump on the bandwagon when it is someone they disagree with. Hypocrisy everywhere.”
Another agreed: “I share a commonality too, Chris. I grew up in a working-class background. Strangely though, my working-class dad brought me up to be honest, pay all my taxes, not to lie, and not to be a hypocrite.”
“Absolute cobblers!” a fifth raged. “If this was any other MP from Reform, Conservatives in exactly the same situation, you would be calling for heads to roll & you know it.”
And a sixth pulled no punches: “Witch hunt my a””e, she did wrong and she should be held to account for it, she should resign.”
Packham’s comments come as the Kent-based conveyancing company that processed Ms Rayner’s property transaction firmly rejected claims they advised the Deputy Prime Minister on tax matters.
Joanna Verrico, who heads the small family practice, confirmed on Thursday that her firm handled the £800,000 Hove flat acquisition but provided no guidance on stamp duty obligations.
“We acted for Ms Rayner when she purchased the flat in Hove. We did not and never have given tax or trust advice. It’s something we always refer our clients to an accountant or tax expert for,” Ms Verrico stated.
The firm maintains that they calculated the duty payment using information Ms Rayner supplied.
“We probably are being made scapegoats for all this, and I have got the arrows stuck in my back to show it,” Ms Verrico told The Telegraph.
The firm explained that their stamp duty calculation relied on HMRC’s online tool and Rayner’s provided information, which generated a £30,000 payment figure.
They emphasised their lack of qualifications to advise on trust and tax matters, stating they routinely direct clients to seek specialist expertise in these areas.
The company insists it acted correctly and in good faith throughout the transaction process.