Rachel Reeves faces questions over political judgment after winter fuel U-turn

Open the Editor’s Marking Free

Rulla Khalaf, the FT editor, chooses its preferred stories in this week’s news.

Apparently, Rachel Rivs’ position has never been more pressureed for the next choice.

Sir Keir Starmer’s Traitor The first big decision of Reeves, as a channel, has raised its scratch on the winter fuel payments of 10 pensioners about its decision and has he weakened?

Dwershor Street claimed that the Prime Minister stood in January that Revez will stay in the treasury until the next next election, “created is relentless.”

This was not an old turn. Reeves’ decision to test the winter fuel payment depicted in July 2024, as evidence that he was ready to submit ordering to public finances.

On Wednesday, the establishment of the creates that the cuts will be partially complemented by the raised issues, whether Reeves will be seen as a channel, which can put pressure on the next time he makes a absurd decision.

It is possible that many of the coming. On June 11, he will announce the results of the gloomy review of public expenses, the ministers of which have to make reductions in the strictly fiscal plans of Reeves. There are big welfare cuts in the pipeline.

And in the fall, the Chancellor will pay a budget in a fiscal strait to cut further welfare or announcing more tax climbing.

Labor deputies who use heated pressure on Reeves and Starmer to refuse the winter fuel payment plan, now they mobilize to persuade the channel to push back welfare reductions.

John Gle, Minister of the former conservative treasury, said:

But now the former employment of the work and now independent MP John McDonel insisted that Revez and Stars should take into account the “How we entered into this confusion” and “if the lesson has learned about the reduction of disability benefits.”

The deputies of the work were reduced by the public opposition to the reduction of winter fuel, which contributed to the party’s local elections at the beginning of this month, when it lost 187 seats.

“Voters believe that Rachel is a really busy way,” said a member deputy. “I’m not sure it’s completely right, but that’s what they say on the door.”

Starmer working figures say that Reeves was more willing to retreat to the issue than the Prime Minister, who was afraid that the government would allow. The No. 10 insisted. “Chancellor and Prime Minister are in the lock.”

The entrance was under discussion of the results of the local elections and the flood of reactions from the work deputies and defeated the Council of Elders. But Starmer’s statement was still a surprise on Wednesday.

Some workers thought that the Prime Minister confirmed the planned partial retreat to distract attention Memorandum of Memorandum of Deputy Prime Minister Angela RainerThe department seen by The Daily Telegraph, which calls reeves to increase taxes.

Politics is given in one word for the employment deputy. “How does partial U-Tear help us?” The deputy asked: “It is all tactics and reactive management.”

The Rayner Memo sent in March, offered Reeves to raise taxes up to 4 billion pounds, mainly on the rich as an alternative to cuts. After a retreat for the payment of winter fuel, tax height may seem less political risky than further well-being reductions.

One treasury official said that the reeves could have a certain loan with the work deputies based on the winter fuel problem. “It’s not catastrophic if it helps to get a disability benefit,” said a former official. “But if it just paves a way for further defeats. It’s time to get a new chancellor. “

While reeves have received a stimulus The first trimester growth numbers Showing larger than expanding GDP expands by 0.7%, official numbers do not suggest that it does a lot to promote public finances.

The net borrowing of the public sector in 151.9 billion in Fiscal was 20.7 billion pounds and 14.6 million pounds higher than the March 2012 prediction.

“We doubt that the budget of the Chancellor will fall only later,” Ruth Grigor said in the capital’s economics.

The deputies of the work hope that the winter fuel turn will increase the government. “It was our original sin. People formed a moral judgment on us, “said a newly elected deputy.

But for Reeves, who promised to be a “iron chancellor” was a sign of weakness. His allies don’t claim. “It is not like that the government has not previously done and has gone to win a choice,” said one.