Rachel Reeves can’t win, can she?

[anothervoter]

After days and days of negative press and chatter about income tax going up, complaints on Mumsnet and across the media, today’s reports are that idea might be dropped and now she’s being accused of rattling the markets and making the cost of borrowing increase.

Honestly, genuine question- what can she do?

This. Why is there so little effort to get back the taxpayer's money that was appropriated by grifters and incompetents like Michelle Mone, just to give one example.
Surely the government could put together a housing plan that would be state run and offer jobs and apprenticeships? Build in community centres and allotments? I was brought up in a huge new town built in the 70s, mostly prefab houses. They are all still standing today and the town has got shopping centres, a new hospital, leisure centre, parks and so on. Yes, it has taken decades, but you have to start somewhere.

Right, lets be clear, a 70billion increase in spend, is not increasing the black hole by 70billion.

Can you see the line where it states how it’s funded?

‘Tax increases’ and ‘more borrowing’. keep reading past the first line.

’Let’s be clear’ very Labour like

It’s ridiculous to cancel an idea that she hadn’t even announced. Kafkaesque. She’s missed an opportunity if she doesn’t tax rich people more. Also, all the talk of businesses needing the help-we always hear this, from all parties, but where’s the proof?

Hard agree. As it seems does a lot of the thread!
What has happened today is ‘more of the same’ from Starmer and Reeves.
They need to do what’s right, not what’s popular. By reading the threads on here you can see that someone will always lose.

She needs to balance the books. Take the difficult decisions to cut spending, reduce immigration, raise taxes (in some areas) but also stimulate growth. I truly believe if she provided a coherent plan, costed and timetabled AND had the discipline to implement then people would deal with it.
But we all know after WFA, benefit cuts and the last budget, that this Labour Party cannot do that.

’Let’s be clear’ very Labour like

What do you mean by this?

Good grief - imagine what the Covid bill would have been with this incompetent crowd in charge!

The stock market wants stability, not constant floating of ideas then withdrawing them, the speculation is causing the problems. She needs to pick an idea and stick to it, and keep it to herself until the budget. However she lost all credibility when she was crying in the commons. She simply isn't up to the job, thats the reality.

Oh Jesus. The Tories started civil proceedings to recover money from Mone. Not Labour, the Tories.

There isn’t a shred of evidence that Tory ministers colluded in PPE fraud. The contracts were all overseen and vetted by civil servants. If a few were bad contracts, what the fuck do you expect in a rush to keep people alive in a pandemic? As if shitty deals aren’t done by central and local government all the time. 🙄

This giant Labour lie must die one day, surely. Surely.

If she were qualified for the job, or she listened to those that understand economics she would not be making these poor decisions. She lied on her CV, Starmer ignored that and let her carry on. No sympathy.

Brexit was 9 years ago
Have a look at the protests in Germany France Italy
Being in the Eu is not helping them

resign

Brexit was 5 years ago. The vote was 9 years ago.

Or another way to look at it is that as an elected party, they are able to listen to MP's and us and act accordingly. It's refreshing in a lot of ways that a party isn't totally dictating and stubborn and can see a mistake. Good old British press though, paint it as 'flip flopping'.

One thing for sure, I'd hate to be in charge of this mess now.

I know @DenizenOfAisleOfShameI think it’s just engrained

Have you seen the latest polling?

More people support spending cuts than tax rises
The vast majority of people don't want the two child cap abolished

How is she listening to people?

There is no doubt brexit harmed our trade to the EU, at a cost.

This. The ridiculous ploy of leaked proposals, to gauge public opinion is getting tedious. All the backtracking due to public disapproval makes them look like they do not really have the courage of their convictions. They are looking flakey.

Nope - not while ‘winning’ is classed as keeping a particular target group of voters happy in the short term and also balancing the books.

She can ‘win’ is her duty to the country as part of the government by delivering a stable, financially sustainable budget plan. Which will include accepting that it will be unpopular. It’s a lot like parenting. What’s necessary and good for the household long term isn’t necessarily what it wants in the short term. And you can’t have / do things that you can’t afford.

At the moment she’s trying to be the best friend, not the responsible adult.

I was thinking of the WFA that they partially brought back. And plenty of people do want the two-child cap removed, the UK has huge child poverty, partially brought on by bringing that in. Isn't the labour party traditionally for the people?

And spending cuts V tax rises, yes, understandably people are selfish, they never want to pay more! But austerity has never worked, it never will and I cannot see what is really left in the UK to cut that it makes such a significant saving, it's been done already. Until they have a method that is 100% certain to weed out the people who play the benefits system unfairly, I'd rather keep looking after our sick and elderly because I never want to see a genuine person suffer.

Agree - conviction is what is totally lacking.

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/survey-results/daily/2025/11/11/1f9d4/2

I think it's pretty clear across the political spectrum that removing the cap isn't what the people want. Labour is supposed to be for the people so why don't they actually listen to them?

Did all those people asked understand what it means regarding child poverty?

Even bloody Farage wants to lift the two child cap, although how altruistic his reasons are remains unclear. Regardless, child poverty is a scourge on society which is why I support lifting the cap.

There is no coherent thinking, no plan - and therefore no trust and no confidence.

That's not how democracy works.

Do those in favour of removing the cap completely understand what it means in terms of tax rises and the controversy around how this will actually impact the children themselves in terms of outcomes? Have they considered all alternatives including more direct intervention and the benefit of this instead of throwing money at parents? Are people completely aware that lifting the two child cap will mean that some families get tens of thousands more of state money each year?