Starmer fails to back tearful Reeves – or rule out tax rises – after welfare debacle
PM fails to back tearful Reeves after welfare chaos
- A chaotic Prime Minister's Questions saw Rachel Reeves appear distressed as the government faced a damaging rebellion over welfare cuts.
- The prime minister refused to rule out new taxes to address a £5bn funding gap resulting from welfare U-turns, intensifying pressure for cabinet changes.
- Rachel Reeves' emotional state at PMQs led to questions about her future, which Sir Keir Starmer avoided, though Downing Street cited a personal matter or an altercation with the Speaker.
- The Institute for Fiscal Studies revealed that welfare reforms would cost money, not save it, causing unease in bond markets and a drop in the pound's value.
- Calls for a wealth tax are growing, with support from within the cabinet and the Trades Union Congress, as a potential solution to the financial shortfall.