Rachel Reeves ‘not top of the sacking list’ as Keir Starmer told to consider futures of THREE senior ministers
Political commentator John Rentoul has defended Rachel Reeves amid mounting pressure on the Labour Chancellor, arguing there are other cabinet ministers who should be considered first for dismissal.
Speaking to GB News, Rentoul insisted that calling for the Chancellor’s resignation over short-term economic fluctuations was premature.
“If Keir Starmer wanted to sack any cabinet ministers, he’s got lots of choices, but Rachel Reeves is not top of the list,” Rentoul said.
Labour is facing fresh scrutiny over its economic management, with Rentoul drawing to the financial situation inherited from the Conservative government.
“The Conservative government has left the public finances in a terrible state, growth is completely flat, and there’s no easy way out of that situation,” he told GB News.
Today, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declined to confirm whether Reeves would remain as Chancellor until the next general election.
Following a speech on artificial intelligence in London, the Prime Minister was pressed on Reeves’ position.
When questioned by GB News specifically about the Chancellor’s future, Starmer asserted Reeves is “doing a fantastic job”, adding: “She has my full confidence. She has the full confidence of the entire party.”
Speaking to GB News, Rentoul delivered pointed criticism of several senior Labour ministers in defence of the Chancellor.
He argued that Angela Rayner’s employment rights package was “heading in completely the wrong direction.”
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The political commentator also criticised Bridget Phillipson, claiming her education reforms were “winding back all the good that’s been done in education over the past two decades”. Ed Miliband’s energy policies were also described as “disastrous” by Rentoul.
In contrast, he singled out Health Secretary Wes Streeting for praise, noting he was “actually starting to turn around the supertanker of the NHS and produce some results.”
Rentoul cautioned against hasty decisions based on short-term economic challenges.
“We shouldn’t be responding to week by week fluctuations by just calling for the Chancellor to go whenever things turn adverse. Things may look very different in six months time,” he told GB News.
The commentator concluded by emphasising the complexity of Government financial management.
“You can’t just simplify spending and reduce spending at a stroke. You cannot run Government from a TV studio, it’s not as easy as that,” Rentoul said.
He defended the Government’s approach to foreign aid spending, noting that “the Conservatives were not proposing to cut foreign aid” and therefore couldn’t criticise Reeves for maintaining the budget.
The right decisions, according to Rentoul, involve “protecting spending as much as possible, increasing taxes, which is necessary, and hoping that things will turn around”.