Three weeks away from the budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves' speech has left many wondering if she's being entirely truthful about the state of public finances. Her words on tax seem hollow, particularly when considering her past statements and actions.
Earlier this year, Reeves declared that she wouldn't come back with more borrowing or taxes. She even claimed that the government had "wiped the slate clean" and put public finances on a firm footing, ensuring they wouldn't need another budget like this again. This assertion now appears to be nothing more than a promise she couldn't keep.
Reeves' speech was as wooden as it was uninspired, with all the verve of an automated complaints line. Her delivery lacked conviction and came across as rehearsed, leaving many questioning her leadership on fiscal issues.
One major concern is how Reeves has navigated the challenges thrown her way, including a collapse in consumer, business, and investor confidence. In response, she raised employers' national insurance contributions, which some saw as an attempt to mitigate the economic downturn. However, this decision now seems like a belated attempt to address pressing issues.
The Office for Budget Responsibility's downgrade of productivity forecasts has been seen as a significant curveball, which Reeves struggled to address. Her assertion that she was working with "the world as I find it" rather than dismissing gravity or reality came across as flippant and dismissive of the facts.
Another contentious issue is Reeves' struggles in implementing spending cuts within her own party. The parliamentary Labour party failed to come together on these issues, leaving Reeves without a unified stance. This lack of cohesion has hindered her ability to present a clear fiscal plan.
The chancellor's definition of who constitutes a "working person" has also sparked debate. Her proposed definition – those earning below £45,000 per year – seems arbitrary and could be seen as an attempt to reclassify certain groups of people for political gain.
Marina Hyde, the columnist behind this assessment, concludes that Reeves' reluctance to admit her party's economic missteps may be too late for her own personal reputation. The Guardian columnist argues that the decision not to level with voters about fiscal realities has had far-reaching consequences, and it's only now that the full extent of these consequences is becoming clear.
Reeves' assertion that "it's about being honest" rings hollow, given her party's past actions on this issue. It appears she would benefit from embracing honesty in her current predicament rather than trying to salvage what's left of her economic legacy.
Earlier this year, Reeves declared that she wouldn't come back with more borrowing or taxes. She even claimed that the government had "wiped the slate clean" and put public finances on a firm footing, ensuring they wouldn't need another budget like this again. This assertion now appears to be nothing more than a promise she couldn't keep.
Reeves' speech was as wooden as it was uninspired, with all the verve of an automated complaints line. Her delivery lacked conviction and came across as rehearsed, leaving many questioning her leadership on fiscal issues.
One major concern is how Reeves has navigated the challenges thrown her way, including a collapse in consumer, business, and investor confidence. In response, she raised employers' national insurance contributions, which some saw as an attempt to mitigate the economic downturn. However, this decision now seems like a belated attempt to address pressing issues.
The Office for Budget Responsibility's downgrade of productivity forecasts has been seen as a significant curveball, which Reeves struggled to address. Her assertion that she was working with "the world as I find it" rather than dismissing gravity or reality came across as flippant and dismissive of the facts.
Another contentious issue is Reeves' struggles in implementing spending cuts within her own party. The parliamentary Labour party failed to come together on these issues, leaving Reeves without a unified stance. This lack of cohesion has hindered her ability to present a clear fiscal plan.
The chancellor's definition of who constitutes a "working person" has also sparked debate. Her proposed definition – those earning below £45,000 per year – seems arbitrary and could be seen as an attempt to reclassify certain groups of people for political gain.
Marina Hyde, the columnist behind this assessment, concludes that Reeves' reluctance to admit her party's economic missteps may be too late for her own personal reputation. The Guardian columnist argues that the decision not to level with voters about fiscal realities has had far-reaching consequences, and it's only now that the full extent of these consequences is becoming clear.
Reeves' assertion that "it's about being honest" rings hollow, given her party's past actions on this issue. It appears she would benefit from embracing honesty in her current predicament rather than trying to salvage what's left of her economic legacy.
. Reeves seems like she's been caught in a web of her own making and now she's trying to wriggle free with some half-baked excuses 
. That definition on who's a "working person" does sound pretty fishy though, £45k is a pretty arbitrary number considering wages have been stagnant for years 
. I'm not sure Reeves can recover from this one...
. She's saying one thing, but her track record is telling a different story 
. No conviction, no passion – it felt like a scripted read from a bland PR document 
. I'm not buying the whole "I'm being honest" thing either... seems like she's trying to deflect blame rather than own up to her party's mistakes 
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. The public is already losing confidence in her leadership, and it's only going to worsen if she doesn't come clean about the state of public finances 
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Interesting how politicians can change their tune mid-game, especially when it comes to tax and public finances. Reeves' speech seemed all over the place, like she was trying to convince everyone of something that wasn't entirely true. And that raise in national insurance contributions? Total bait-and-switch 
she lacked that spark, you know? and her party can't even agree on cuts so how is she supposed to navigate this? 
and reclassifying people for politics is just shady. Reeves needs to own up to the mistakes, not brush them off like it's no big deal 
. I think we need more transparency and honesty from our leaders, especially when it comes to something as serious as public finances 
. It's time for Reeves to own up to her mistakes and work towards a real plan that benefits everyone, not just the wealthy few 
. And I'm so over the "we're working with the world as it is" nonsense 
. I'm calling it - she needs to come clean and work towards a real solution, not just try to salvage what's left of her reputation 
Come on! It's like expecting a single parent to solve world hunger on their own 
And those "working people" under £45k? Sounds like an arbitrary target to me 
. She should own up to her mistakes and try to fix them instead of running away from it all 
Maybe that's not the best politician skill, but at least it'd be honest 
... raising national insurance contributions was a good move, but it does feel like an afterthought now. And what's with all these different definitions of who's a "working person"? It just seems like a bunch of politics as usual 
... it'd make everything so much clearer, you know? No more beating around the bush or trying to spin things in a way that's not entirely true 
, if you ask me 
but now it seems like she's just trying to save face after being caught out 
anyone who thinks the £45k "working person" definition is a solid move needs to take a long, hard look at themselves 
#ChancellorReeves #BudgetSpeech Fail #EconomicHonestyMatters
. It's not just about being truthful, it's about showing some leadership 
. That speech sounded like a rehearsed script, and I don't buy it. She's been saying one thing for months, but now she's backpedaling? It's like she's trying to cover her own tracks or something. And that tax thing? Forget about it. She's just trying to shift the blame onto us taxpayers. But what really got me was when she said she'd "wipe the slate clean" on public finances... meanwhile, she's raising employers' national insurance contributions and implementing spending cuts without any clear plan in place 
She's already been dealing with some heavy stuff - collapsing consumer confidence and all that jazz 
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. Reeves is trying her best with limited info and resources 
That sounds like a recipe for disaster 
...even if it means making mistakes 
. And btw, who defines who's a "working person"? Sounds like more bureaucratic red tape than necessary 
. I think it's possible that Reeves is genuinely trying to do what's best for the country, even if some of her policies aren't working out as planned 
. We need to give her space to make things right and learn from her mistakes rather than piling on too much criticism 
I'm a bit skeptical about Chancellor Reeves' words on tax - it seems like she's dodging the hard questions 
. And let's not forget her struggles with spending cuts within her own party - it's like they're speaking different languages 
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