Chancellor Rachel Reeves promises to bring investment to Britain to boost living standards

Published

10 months ago

September 23, 2024

admin

Rachel Reeves has said her ambition is for the UK to be “the best place to start and grow a business” as she promised Labour will bring investment to Britain.

The chancellor, speaking to Sky News ahead of her keynote speech at Labour’s conference today, said by bringing stability to the economy her administration will be “the most pro-growth government that this country has ever seen”.

Follow politics latest:
Updates from Labour conference

Ms Reeves said: “This is all part of our agenda, to be the most pro-growth government that this country has ever seen, because there is immense potential, huge potential in the creative industries and our professional services in tech industries, low carbon technologies.

“I want those jobs here in Britain.

“There’s a global race on for these jobs, but if we can make the changes, which I’m determined to bring about, I know we can get that investment to Britain, increased living standards and more money in people’s pockets.

“Vibrant communities, stronger high streets and Britain will be the best place to start and grow a business. That’s my ambition.”

Ms Reeves said she will set out how the government will achieve that during her speech in Liverpool at lunchtime today.

She repeated Labour’s manifesto pledge to not raise VAT, income tax or national insurance.

The chancellor is, however, expected to announce some changes at Labour conference. Any major announcements will be saved for the autumn budget on 30 October, though.

👉 Tap here to follow Politics at Jack and Sam’s wherever you get your podcasts 👈

Sir Keir Starmer’s government has been accused of being all doom and gloom since coming into power in July after a landslide victory but Ms Reeves appeared to be turning that around slightly.

She said: “If we can return that stability and reform our economy, I’ve never been so optimistic about our country’s future.

“If we can get this right, then there is no end to what we can achieve as a country.

“And that’s what I’m determined to do, to unlock the real potential that we have through stability, through reform, and then, crucially, through investment, which is a solution to the low growth that has bedevilled our economy this last decade or so.”

Conservative MP Gareth Davies, shadow exchequer secretary to the Treasury, accused the chancellor of using her “discredited narrative on her economy inheritance to avoid taking responsibility for the choices she has made”.

He accused her of spending “billions on inflation busting public sector pay rises for trade union backers paid for by snatching £300 from pensioners at the same time accepting thousands of pounds in free clothes and luxury holidays whilst telling families to tighten their belts”.

“She must take responsibility for the political choices she is making, now and at her first Budget. We will hold Labour to account on the promises they made,” he said.

Parties ‘rely on donations’

The row over Labour politicians accepting large donations has overshadowed the beginning of Labour’s first conference in government in 14 years, with Sir Keir taking more donations than any other MP.

Ms Reeves is on the lower end of the amount donated to her, and said the £7,500 she was given for clothes was from “an old friend” who wanted to donate to her campaign.

“I really appreciated that support, it made a big difference to me,” she told Sky News.

“It was never something that I planned to continue in government. As chancellor, that’s not something I’ll be doing.”

She added she understands people’s concerns but added politicians and parties rely on donations to campaign, which she thinks is right as taxpayers should not be funding them.

Ms Reeves said Labour MPs have been transparent about donations and said the party received more donations than ever before.

“We appreciated those donations, it helps us to do our job of getting elected and making the change that our country desperately needs,” she added.

Politics

Roman Storm’s lawyers signal continuance if court allows hacker’s testimony

Published

2 hours ago

July 10, 2025

admin

Roman Storm’s lawyers signal continuance if court allows hacker’s testimony

The Tornado Cash co-founder is scheduled to go to trial on Monday, but his defense attorneys are still waiting on rulings for motions over witnesses in the case.

Politics

Migrants deal a win for Starmer – and could help with fight against Reform

Published

4 hours ago

July 10, 2025

admin

Migrants deal a win for Starmer - and could help with fight against Reform

The bromance between Sir Keir Starmer and President Macron is so apparent – embraces all around.

This is some deft diplomacy from Sir Keir, who has been love-bombing his French counterpart ever since he became prime minister – trying to get closer ties, be it on security, on trade, and now of course on small boats.

And he has got a win today – he’s got President Macron to agree a deterrent deal.

Politics latest: Macron stokes undiplomatic Brexit row

You remember the Conservatives were trying the Rwanda plan to deter people from coming by sending them back to Rwanda, a third country, if they came here illegally.

What the prime minister has agreed with President Macron today is a big deal. It’s a one in, one out deal.

What they’re going to do is, if someone arrives here illegally, they will be sent back to France, and in return, the UK will accept a legitimate asylum seeker. It might be someone who has family ties.

It’s going to start off really small – think of it as a pilot – as they’re going to test it out, see if it works.

It might be just a handful of people being sent back, maybe just under a thousand or so by the end of the year. But they will hopefully, for the prime minister, scale it up and it could become a real deterrent.

I’ll leave you with just one more thought: As Prime Minister Starmer and President Macron were doing this deal today, Nigel Farage was in the English Channel documenting illegal migrants making that crossing – 79 people being picked up by Border Force, taken off a dinghy and into Dover.

Polling out this morning by Portland suggests four in 10 voters who are planning on going to Reform would go back to Labour if the prime minister tackles small boats and drives down the crossings.

There is a real political imperative for him to try to start to resolve this problem. It’s going to count at the ballot box – immigration is a top-three issue in this country when it comes to voters.