The article discusses the challenges faced by Labour Party leader Keir Starmer and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves in preparing their first budget, which is expected to be tax-raising due to the country's economic situation.
Reeves has been struggling to balance her manifesto promises with the need to address the country's financial woes, including a large national debt and rising inflation. The Labour Party has pledged to cut NHS waiting lists, pay off the national debt, and tackle the cost of living, but these promises come at a cost.
The article suggests that Reeves' strategy for the budget has not changed since July, when she picked her three priorities: cutting NHS waiting lists, paying off the national debt, and tackling the cost of living. However, there are concerns that Labour's plans may be too ambitious and that the party is taking on too much.
Treasury insiders say that Reeves knew back then that there would be no return to austerity or more borrowing – meaning tax rises were the only route. However, this has led to frustration among some MPs, who feel that the party's promises are not being delivered quickly enough.
The article also quotes Jeremy Hunt, a former Conservative chancellor, as saying that Reeves' personal future and that of Starmer depend on the success or failure of the budget. Other sources suggest that this budget is critical to the fortunes of both Starmer and Reeves, as well as the Labour Party's overall prospects in the next election.
Overall, the article suggests that the Labour government faces significant challenges in preparing their first budget, particularly in terms of balancing manifesto promises with economic reality. The success or failure of the budget will have a major impact on the party's future prospects and on the country's economic outlook.
Reeves has been struggling to balance her manifesto promises with the need to address the country's financial woes, including a large national debt and rising inflation. The Labour Party has pledged to cut NHS waiting lists, pay off the national debt, and tackle the cost of living, but these promises come at a cost.
The article suggests that Reeves' strategy for the budget has not changed since July, when she picked her three priorities: cutting NHS waiting lists, paying off the national debt, and tackling the cost of living. However, there are concerns that Labour's plans may be too ambitious and that the party is taking on too much.
Treasury insiders say that Reeves knew back then that there would be no return to austerity or more borrowing – meaning tax rises were the only route. However, this has led to frustration among some MPs, who feel that the party's promises are not being delivered quickly enough.
The article also quotes Jeremy Hunt, a former Conservative chancellor, as saying that Reeves' personal future and that of Starmer depend on the success or failure of the budget. Other sources suggest that this budget is critical to the fortunes of both Starmer and Reeves, as well as the Labour Party's overall prospects in the next election.
Overall, the article suggests that the Labour government faces significant challenges in preparing their first budget, particularly in terms of balancing manifesto promises with economic reality. The success or failure of the budget will have a major impact on the party's future prospects and on the country's economic outlook.
rachel reeves is literally stuck between cutting NHS wait times & paying off debt like who makes these decisions?? her whole strategy has been same since july lol & now ppl are saying its too ambitious 
but honestly dont think that's the problem, its just that starmer & reeves didnt think it thru tbh. this budget is gonna be a wild ride either way, can't wait 2 c how it all plays out 
I think it's gonna be super tough for Labour to deliver on all those promises, ya know? They're trying to balance reducing NHS wait times with dealing with the national debt and inflation... it's like trying to put together a puzzle with too many missing pieces 
. Reeves' plan seems solid, but people are worried she's biting off more than she can chew 
. Labour needs to find a way to deliver without breaking the economy... it's not gonna be easy 
.
! Reeves is being super responsible by not going back to austerity, but I get why some MPs are getting frustrated... it's gotta be tough balancing those manifesto promises with economic reality 
. I mean, Jeremy Hunt says it all hangs in the balance for Starmer and Reeves - that's a lot of pressure! 
so the labour party is trying to make a tax-raising budget but they're struggling cuz their promises r like super ambitious lol... cutting nhs waiting lists, payin off the national debt & tacklin cost of livin sounds like a lot to tackle at once 
. it's like they're tryna solve world hunger in one budget fam 
! Jeremy Hunt thinks their futures are tied 2 this budget, which is pretty intense 
. And what about all these MPs who are getting frustrated with the slow pace of change? Maybe Labour should've been more realistic in the first place 
. The thing is, I love the idea of cutting waiting lists and paying off debt, but we gotta be practical about it too 
. Can't Labour promise more without, you know, actually promising to make it work? It feels like they're setting themselves up for a fall 
. And what's with Jeremy Hunt saying Starmer and Reeves' futures depend on the budget? Sounds like a lot of pressure 
. I just wish they'd be more realistic about what they can deliver 
. The NHS, debt, and cost of living all need attention ASAP! 
However, I get why they can't just magic away the problems 
. Can they really make it happen? 
what do u think will happen? will they be able to balance everything out or is it gonna be a tough ride 
. They need to find a way to make those tax rises stick, but also not alienate voters who are worried about the cost of living 
But at what cost? Do they risk losing support from those who need help with inflation right now? It's all a big puzzle, and I'm not sure anyone has all the pieces yet 
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. But what's concerning is that Labour hasn't really changed its approach since July 
. I get why they'd want to stick to their promises, but it does seem like they're taking on too much 
It feels like Labour is trying to do too many things at once, which might not be realistic 
. And what about the national debt - it's not going away overnight 
they can't just keep making promises without trying to make them a reality. The thing is, tax rises might not be the best way to address the country's financial woes... 
maybe there's another approach, like increasing investment in public services or implementing some form of progressive taxation. But on the other hand... 
and if they don't, their futures might be at stake. 
. Labour's plans sound good on paper, but realistically, we're looking at some tough decisions being made here 
. One thing's for sure, the next budget is gonna be a real test of their leadership 
...
treasy insiders say there's no way back to austerity, that's what led to this whole mess 
! Rachel Reeves is having a tough time, you feel? Trying to balance all those promises with the national debt and inflation 
- every time she tries to fix one thing, another issue pops up! 
. His personal future and that of Reeves are totally tied to this budget's success or failure 
!
seems like she's trying to tackle all problems at once, which might be too much for one budget 
but, what if they're seen as not being delivered? 
would that harm Starmer's and Reeves' chances of getting re-elected? 
or maybe implement some other revenue-generating measures? 
. It's gonna be tough for Rachel Reeves to balance all these competing priorities - cutting waiting lists, paying off debt, and tackling inflation. I'm not sure if it's too ambitious, though. I mean, think about it like the movie Interstellar - you gotta travel through a wormhole to get to the other side