“Labour or Just Tory in Disguise?” Rachel Reeves Slammed Over Spending Cuts in Fiery BBC Showdown

It was a bit of an uncomfortable Sunday for Chancellor Rachel Reeves as she faced some tough grilling from the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg over Labour’s latest spending decisions. During her appearance on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the presenter didn’t hold back, asking Reeves straight up: “Are you really a Labour chancellor?” – a pointed jab given the recent wave of cost-cutting moves from Reeves’ office.

Since Labour came into power last July, Reeves has been keeping a tight grip on the purse strings. Determined to avoid borrowing for everyday spending, she’s taken a controversial approach – slashing budgets across various departments. Most recently, she’s gone after the welfare budget, aiming to save £5 billion by the end of the decade. And she’s not done yet. This week, the civil service is expected to be told to chop £2 billion from its budget during the government’s upcoming spending review, reported Huffington Post.

It’s this steady stream of cuts that led Kuenssberg to challenge Reeves’ political identity. But Reeves didn’t shy away from the criticism. She pushed back hard, saying: “In the last parliament, it was the worst parliament ever for living standards… although the previous government taxed more, people were paying more and getting less in return.”

She then laid out what she believes Labour has delivered so far: boosting the national living wage, bringing down NHS waiting lists for five months in a row, and taxing the wealthiest individuals and businesses more. From April, primary school children will also get free breakfast clubs—a clear nod to working families.

Reeves defended her welfare cuts by insisting the current system is outdated and needs reform. She highlighted worrying figures—like one in eight young people being out of work, education or training—and pointed to a £1 billion investment aimed at getting more people back into jobs.

But Kuenssberg wasn’t having it. She pressed again, saying many viewers felt betrayed, noting one voter’s words: “When people voted Labour (to remove the Tories) they did not expect a continuation of Tory policies.” Reeves responded by insisting the most vulnerable would still be looked after, saying a thousand people a day are still going onto personal independence payments.

But the core question lingered. “Are you not telling the story properly, or have people just realised Labour’s changed?” Kuenssberg asked. Reeves’ final answer? Labour inherited a £22 billion financial mess from the Tories—and “difficult decisions” were the only way out.