Rachel Reeves has said she won’t let critics “get me down” after a difficult few days for the UK economy.
He was the chancellor. Talking to Nick Robinson from the BBC’s Political Thinking. A weekend podcast that saw the nation’s borrowing costs hit a multi-year high.
Reeves said the increase was “not a British trend” and that other countries had also seen borrowing costs rise.
He also insisted that he had “what it takes to deliver for the people of this country” and ideas to “change things”.
On Thursday, the data showed The UK economy grew by 0.1% in November. This raises concerns that growth may stall for some time to come.
Conservatives have accused the Chancellor of “burying his head in the sand” and called for “immediate change”.
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said Reeves had “put the handbrake on the economy with his misguided jobs tax” – a quote At the height of National Insurance Paid by businesses.
Speaking to the BBC, Reeves said the current level of growth was “not good enough” and that increasing the figures was the “number one mission of the Labor government”.
As part of that mission, Reeves said she will meet with regulators to encourage them to “do whatever it takes” to promote growth.
“If the regulators keep doing what they’re doing, we’re not going to be able to grow the economy.”
He added that there was “not enough wiggle room” to cater for all the UK’s regulators.
Since taking office in July, Reeves has faced criticism for several of his decisions. Removal of winter fuel payment Except for the poorest pensioners Changes in Inheritance Tax Laws for Farmers And Choosing not to pay women Affected by changes in state pension age.
He defended these actions as “difficult decisions” that were “correct decisions in the national interest”.
She added that she wished she had arrived at the job and been told “the money is coming in”… then I could have made different decisions.
“But with the circumstances that I inherited, I decided that I had to make sure that the money added up.”
Asked if his decisions had damaged business confidence, Reeves asked: “What was the alternative?
“All decisions have consequences but imagine the alternative.
“Imagine if I hadn’t addressed this issue and now when the financial markets look at Britain, they’re going to be saying, ‘This is a government that’s not being realistic about the situation it’s facing. , she is spending more money than she is bringing in. She has to borrow more and more.”
Revis asked about the criticism he’s faced: “I haven’t taken it personally.
“Some people don’t want me to succeed, some people don’t want this government to succeed.”
The chancellor added: “That’s fair enough. That’s their prerogative. But I’m not going to let them bring me down. I’m not going to stop them from doing what this government is mandated to do, and that’s the economy. to increase.”