UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Health Secretary Wes Streeting said Chancellor Rachel Reeves has “much more to do” to fix the British economy amid high borrowing and market pressure.
As reported by The Telegraph, Wes Streeting admitted Rachel Reeves still faces significant work to stabilise Britain’s economy.
The Chancellor faces pressure after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer brought three economic experts, including her former deputy Darren Jones, into his Number 10 team.
Ahead of an autumn Budget, the internal reshuffle posed a fresh threat to Ms Reeves’s authority. She comes under pressure after UK borrowing rises to its highest in 27 years.
What did Wes Streeting say about Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plan?
During an interview, when asked about the markets, Wes Streeting said,
“When we came in, people saw the state of the public finances; borrowing was at a record high.”
He stated,
“And the Chancellor, since she came in last year, has been determined to restore stability to our economy, to get growth back into our economy and get the conditions where we can get the nation’s finances back to health, our public services back to health and also the finances of every family back to health too.”
Mr Streeting said there had been “some encouraging signs in the right direction”, adding,
“We’ve seen some of the highest growth in the G7, we’ve seen wages rising faster than living costs for the first time in many, many years.”
The health secretary added,
“But the Chancellor will be the first to say there will be much more to do, Britain is not out of the woods, and that is why the discipline and the focus that she’s brought on cost of living, on economic growth and creating the conditions for businesses to be successful is really important. And the discipline we show as a Cabinet in terms of public spending, too.”
Referring to Labour policies, Mr Wes Streeting said they are “fully costed and fully funded,” adding,
“You can’t just tax, spend, or borrow your way out of the country’s problems.”
Mr Streeting said Chancellor Rachel Reeves often denies spending requests from ministers, saying she will not spend more than the country can afford.
What did Wes Streeting say about Liz Truss’s economic criticism?
Wes Streeting stated,
“I think the last person that Rachel Reeves would be taking advice from on effective management of the economy and public finances is Liz Truss.”
He said,
“And to be honest, how she’s got the nerve to show her face after what she did to the country – it’s just a remarkable lack of self-awareness to be honest.”
Mr Streeting called the economic chaos during Ms Truss’s premiership “self-inflicted harm” and added the government will not take lectures from her.
What did Wes Streeting say about police action in Graham Linehan’s arrest?
Graham Linehan, creator of Father Ted, was detained over social media posts on trans rights, sparking a fresh free speech debate in the UK.
He wrote on Substack that upon arriving from Arizona, he was detained at Heathrow by armed officers and questioned about his April social media posts.
Wes Streeting insisted he could not comment on the ongoing police probe, adding that the police operate independently.
He said,
“The prime minister and the home secretary have been very clear that when it comes to the safety of our streets and our communities, we would rather see police on the streets rather than policing tweets.”
The health secretary added,
“Now, it’s the easiest thing in the world for people to criticise the police, but they are enforcing laws that parliament has passed and asked them to enforce. So if we haven’t got the balance right as parliament, over successive governments, that is something that we need to look at.”
What did Sir Keir Starmer say about policing after Graham Linehan’s arrest?
Sir Keir Starmer has instructed police to focus on serious crimes after Graham Linehan’s arrest over social media posts on transgender issues.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister confirmed that Sir Keir has outlined his priorities for policing.
They added,
“The prime minister and the home secretary have been clear about where their priorities for crime and policing are, and that’s tackling anti-social behaviour, shoplifting, street crime, as well as reducing serious violent crimes like knife crime and violence against women.”
What did Mel Stride say about Rachel Reeves’ economic disaster?
Tories claim Rachel Reeves is responsible for “another economic disaster” as government borrowing reaches its highest in nearly three decades.
Mel Stride, the Tory shadow chancellor, stated,
“It’s a clear warning from the markets and a clear vote of no-confidence in Labour.”
He added,
“When a Government borrows and spends like there’s no tomorrow, we all pay the price.”