Rachel Reeves has indicated the possibility of emergency spending cuts while No 10 remains open to the prospect of an emergency budget in the spring.
Addressing MPs in the Commons, Reeves highlighted the need to go “further and faster” in driving economic growth amid rising government borrowing costs and the pound’s recent depreciation.
Reeves stopped short of ruling out future spending cuts, stating she would not draft “five years of budgets in the first six months of a Labour government.” Nonetheless, she reaffirmed her commitment to the government’s fiscal rules, which require that day-to-day spending be covered by revenue rather than borrowing.
Downing Street, meanwhile, refused to dismiss the possibility of an emergency budget this spring in response to the economic challenges.
This comes as new inflation figures are expected to be released, with predictions that UK inflation remained steady in December. Economists warn of a potential rise in inflation in the coming year, despite what they describe as a “temporary reprieve.”
Former Labour Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell cautioned against spending cuts, warning they could be “politically suicidal” and risk turning the current economic crisis into a recession. Speaking in an interview, McDonnell emphasized the importance of avoiding cuts, suggesting that such measures would erode Labour’s political support and harm the economy by reducing demand.
“There’s turbulence in the international markets, and we’ve just got to see this through,” McDonnell said. “The way you do that is – you don’t turn to cuts, certainly, because not only will that be politically suicidal, it would undermine the political support upon which Labour got elected.” He added that relying on the Bank of England to intervene could be a more effective strategy.
Treasury Minister Resigns Amid Probe
In a related development, Tulip Siddiq has resigned as a Treasury minister amid an anti-corruption investigation linked to properties associated with her aunt’s former regime in Bangladesh. Siddiq’s resignation, submitted to Keir Starmer, cited her position as a distraction amid the ongoing probe.
Siddiq, the second minister to step down within six months, follows former Transport Secretary Louise Haigh. The resignation comes as Siddiq, responsible for tackling financial crime, faces scrutiny from standards watchdog Sir Laurie Magnus over reports linking her to properties in London associated with the ousted Bangladeshi prime minister.
Siddiq has referred herself to Sir Laurie for investigation, maintaining her innocence in a letter requesting the inquiry.
Reeves concluded her Commons address by emphasizing the urgency of her economic plan.
“The economic headwinds remind us we must go further and faster to kickstart economic growth. If we get it right, the prize for the British people is immense – the opportunity to make working people better off by making Britain better off. That is the mandate this government has, and this is what we will deliver.”
Rachel Reeves
As such, the government faces mounting pressure to navigate the turbulent economic landscape while maintaining fiscal discipline and public confidence. The coming months will be pivotal in determining the success of Reeves’ economic strategy and the broader stability of the UK economy.
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