I’m sick of people mansplaining how to be chancellor, says Rachel Reeves
Days before she announced her make-or-break budget, Rachel Reeves said she was “tired of people explaining to her how to be chancellor”.
Responding to critics amid growing concern about major tax rises expected next week, the chancellor said he “will not allow them to let me down by undermining my character or confidence”.
But Ms Reeves also acknowledged the government had “made a few unforced errors” but insisted it was “fighting to win”.
His comments come as he seeks to plug a £20bn black hole in the public finances after weeks of speculation and leaks about tax rise plans.
While the Chancellor appears to have abandoned previous plans to raise income tax, he is expected to look for other ways to raise cash to tackle the deficit and ensure he remains on track to comply with his fiscal rules.
Times The interview with Ms Reeves also saw her speak on the same day she was seen crying during PMQs amid growing speculation about her future in the Prime Minister’s Office; This incident was considered a “personal problem” at the time.
“If you hadn’t recorded this, I would have told you what was going on, but I’m not telling the world that,” he said.
“Most people have spent a day at work going to the bathroom and crying or telling their boss, ‘I’m going home early.’
“Unfortunately, I experienced my most difficult moment on live broadcast. I always go to the prime minister’s questions, I thought it was my duty to be there, but if I lived that day again, I would not enter the hall.”
When asked who his critics were, the chancellor said: “I’m tired of people explaining to me how to be chancellor.”
But she also admitted that, as Britain’s first female chancellor, she still felt the need to prove herself to “the boys who write newspaper columns”.
Asked if this encouraged him, he said: “Yes, a little bit. I know there’s a target on me. You can see it in the media; they’re always coming after me. It’s exhausting.”
“But I won’t let them break me down by undermining my character or my confidence. I’ve seen off many of these boys before and I’ll continue to do so.”
Just days before he announces the budget, the chancellor has been dealt another blow as the latest official figures showed higher-than-expected government borrowing last month.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said public sector borrowing stood at £17.4bn last month, which was £1.8bn lower than a year ago but the highest level in October since records began.
That figure was above the £15 billion most economists expected and above the £14.4 billion forecast in March by the UK’s independent fiscal watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
