1 week Ago By Dominic Penna
The Labour Government must be “transparent” about donations and free gifts, the Chancellor has said. Rachel Reeves was speaking after it emerged Sir Keir Starmer and his wife had accepted thousands of pounds in clothes from Lord Alli, a millionaire donor. Ms Reeves also accepted £7,500 in clothing from one of her friends for during the election campaign.
Asked about the clothes she received, she told Sky News: “I really appreciated that support. It made a big difference to me. It was never something that I planned to continue in government as Chancellor.
“And that’s not something I’ll be doing, but I was grateful for that support and politicians and political campaigns do rely on donations. But I do get people’s concerns about it and it’s why I think it’s so important that politicians are always transparent and declare things that they get support with. “I don’t begrudge people going to watch a football match or going to a concert, but I think it is so important that things are done transparently, and that now in government we hold ourselves to the highest possible standards.
” Rachel Reeves said she had attended a number of events with BBC political journalists. Ms Reeves told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’ve been with both of you, Nick [Robinson] and Chris [Mason], to things like the First Night of the Proms, the Last Night of the Proms..
.” Mr Robinson interjected: “As guests of the BBC.” Ms Reeves added: “I don’t think it brings me into conflict in any way in the decisions that I make as Chancellor, or indeed as shadow chancellor.
” Asked if she paid for the suit she was wearing, Rachel Reeves told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I did, the suit is from Hobbs and I bought it and I will be wearing it for my conference speech this afternoon. “But I understand why you asked the question, and I can understand why people find it a little bit odd that politicians get support for things like buying clothes.” Workers are more likely to be more productive if they work from the office, Rachel Reeves has said.
Asked by LBC’s Nick Ferrari how many Treasury staff work from the office, Ms Reeves said: “I don’t have the exact number to hand, but we are a pretty good department for getting colleagues in, but it’s a real mix across government, and I do want civil servants in the office. “I lead by example, that first weekend when I was appointed Chancellor, I arrived at the Treasury at about three or four on a Friday afternoon. We work well into the evening, not just me and my political team, but civil servants.
And we came in on a Saturday and a Sunday. “We did that in the office, not on Zoom, because I do think there is real value in bringing people together and sharing ideas. You’re challenging each other.
” Challenged on why Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, had warned against “presenteeism”, Ms Reeves replied: “Well, I think that there is certainly a case for flexible working...
. I think that if someone has got, you know, a school play of their kid or sports day, or they’ve got an elderly parent, they’ve got to take to a doctor’s appointment, I am all for being flexible and making sure that people can be able to balance work and family life. “But I do think that productivity gains are more likely to happen when you have that sharing of ideas and bringing people together, and I lead by example on that in my department, and I think that it’s, it’s ripping dividends.
” Rachel Reeves was asked about a delay to a Labour conference vote on stripping around 10 million pensioners of the winter fuel allowance. She told LBC: “I don’t know the situation about when votes take place, but if delegates want a vote on this they will get a vote on this. “I don’t know the timing, but we’ve already had a vote in Parliament where it was overwhelmingly passed.
“This isn’t the decision that I wanted to make. It wasn’t a decision that I expected to make, but given the state of the public finances I inherited I think it was right to restrict the winter fuel payment to the poorest pensioners and to make sure that all of the pensioners, entitled to it are getting it.” Rachel Reeves declared she wanted to lead the most “pro-growth” Treasury ever.
She told Sky News: “Bringing that stability, as well as the reform, the creation of the National Wealth Fund, the reforms of our planning system, unlocking investment from pensions to help start up and scale up businesses...
“This is all part of our agenda to be the most pro-growth Government that this country has ever seen, because there is immense potential, huge potential, in our creative industries, in our professional services, in tech industries, low-carbon technologies. “I want those jobs here in Britain, there’s a global race on for these jobs, but if we can make the changes, which I’m determined to bring about.” Labour has delayed a potentially humiliating vote on its winter fuel raid until the final day of its annual conference, writes our Political Correspondent Amy Gibbons .
A motion urging the Government to reverse the decision to scrap the payments for millions of pensioners had been expected to be put to the floor this afternoon. But The Telegraph understands it will now take place on Wednesday, typically the quietest day of the conference when business is winding down. The vote has been forced by trade unions, who are piling pressure on the Prime Minister to restore the universal benefit.
Union sources had expected it to take place today. However, Labour decided it should be held on Wednesday instead. It is understood the unions are planning to protest the decision, with the aim of moving the vote back to today.
Unite, one of Labour’s biggest donor unions, lashed out at the decision to delay the vote, describing the party as “tin eared”. It would be an embarrassment for Downing Street if the motion passed, meaning the conference had officially opposed the winter fuel cut. Dominic Penna here, The Telegraph’s Political Correspondent, guiding you through the second day of Labour’s annual party conference here in Liverpool.
Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, is seeking to strike an optimistic note about the long-term future of the economy during her broadcast media round as she prepares to make a keynote speech at midday..
