Move over Liz Truss – there is a new lettuce-fearing politician preventing for her job
While she may represent a different political party, Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves may be going head to head with the Daily Star’s trusty lettuce just like former Prime Minister Liz Truss did
Rachel Reeves is fighting for her political life after Sir Keir Starmer refused to guarantee her long-term future. The Chancellor is under intense pressure over the state of the ailing economy, with government borrowing costs soaring and the pound falling to a fresh 14-month low.
Her authority is wilting just like ex-PM “Lettuce” Liz Truss’s power was in her final days in No10 in 2022, which saw her famously outlasted by the Daily Star’s trusty vegetable.
Reeves was flying back from China amid mounting speculation over her future. PM Sir Keir refused to say if she would stay in her role until the next general election.
He said: “Rachel Reeves is doing a fantastic job. She has my full confidence. She has the full confidence of the entire party.”
He admitted it will take time to turn the economy around, while Ms Reeves faces having to make spending cuts or tax hikes to balance the books.
But his refusal to offer a guarantee on her future raised eyebrows as Downing Street previously made a similar promise about Foreign Secretary David Lammy staying in post.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said she was “hanging on by her fingernails”.
She said: “The Prime Minister just refused to back his Chancellor staying in her job. The markets are in turmoil and business confidence has crashed, yet the Chancellor is nowhere to be seen.”
Bookmakers at Ladbrokes have cut the odds on Ms Reeves being axed from 10/3 to 6/4.
Spokesman Alex Apati said: “It could soon be curtains for Rachel Reeves, if the latest odds are anything to go by.”
After hours of speculation on her future following Sir Keir’s failure to offer her his full-throated backing, Downing Street sought to sought to calm the situation.
No10 insisted he will work with Ms Reeves as his Chancellor for the whole of this Parliament.
The PM’s official spokesman said: “You heard from the Prime Minister. He was very explicit he has full confidence in the Chancellor and he’ll be working with her in the role of Chancellor for the whole of this Parliament.”
Asked whether the PM had boxed himself in by saying both Mr Lammy and the Chancellor would remain, the spokesman said: “He appointed a Cabinet and people to those roles because he believes that they’re the right people to deliver for the British people, to deliver the plan for change.
“When it comes to the Chancellor, she’s had a very difficult economic inheritance from the previous government but she has taken tough decisions early in the Parliament in order to lay the foundations for growth and for the Government to deliver on its key objectives of raising living standards across the country.”
