Conservative Party Chairman Attacks Shadow Chancellor’s Claims
Shadow Chancellor Accused of ‘Scaremongering’
Rachel Reeves, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, was under pressure to apologize last night for making misleading claims about the UK economy.
Conservative Party Chairman Responds
Richard Holden, Conservative Party chairman, called on Reeves to “correct the record” after she claimed that the economy was expected to be £40 billion smaller in 2027 than was forecast in March.
Holden: Reeves’ Claims Are ‘A £55billion Gap Between What You Say And Reality’
Holden said that figures from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) this week showed that the economy was expected to be 0.6 percent bigger in 2027 than had been predicted earlier this year – equal to an improvement of around £15 billion.
In a letter to the Shadow Chancellor last night, Holden said there appeared to be “a £55 billion gap between what you say and reality”.
Holden: Reeves ‘Failed Either Deliberately Or Recklessly’ To Take Account Of OBR’s Growth Figures
He said Ms Reeves appeared to have failed “either deliberately or recklessly” to take account of a major upward revision to the UK’s past growth rates by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which showed the UK had recovered from the pandemic quicker than either France or Germany.
Holden: Labour Resorts To ‘Scaremongering And Defeatism’
Mr Holden wrote: “At every opportunity the Labour Party resorts to scaremongering and defeatism – instead of celebrating the resilience of our economy and the strength of British businesses up and down the country.”
Labour Has Been Approached For Comment
Labour has been approached for comment.