Sir Keir Starmer has warned his senior ministers they will have to live with swingeing spending cuts after a cabinet row over the Budget erupted in public.
The prime minister is facing a backlash from deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and other members of his top team over cuts to government departments set to be unveiled by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves.
Sir Keir has received letters raising concerns after a number of his team – including transport minister Louise Haigh and justice minister Shabana Mahmood – spoke out against the measures at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, with one reportedly describing the cuts being sought as “absolutely huge”.
In response, the PM’s official spokesperson warned yesterday: “Not every department will be able to do everything they want to. There will be tough decisions taken [and] tough conversations.” They also said that “public services and departments have to become more productive and public services will need reform”.
Some departments are facing cuts of as much as 20 per cent as Ms Reeves scrambles to find £40bn of spending cuts and tax rises before the 30 October Budget. Yesterday Whitehall’s total budget, known as the “spending envelope”, was submitted to the Office for Budget Responsibility after being finalised by Downing Street. But tense negotiations with individual government departments are still ongoing, as they press for cash from other parts of Whitehall.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 18, 2024 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 18, 2024 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
The face of baseball making history after betting scandal
Shohei Ohtani’s season began with him mired in a betting scandal for which he bore no fault, has included him achieving something no one else in the 150-year history of professional baseball has, and will likely end with him earning a third MVP (most valuable player) award of his career.
Who has taken pole as US politics enters the F1 world?
Election hopefuls are using the sport to promote campaigns
We can't stand Musk but he astounded us all this week
I have a confession to make: for a brief moment this week, I became a fully paid-up Elon Musk fanboy.
Saka chasing down the most elusive and weirdest record
With seven assists in as many matches to start the Premier League, is the single-season target of 20 within his reach?
MG dismiss dip in demand for EVs as its sales surge
Carmaker MG has insisted that a drop in electric car interest is “short term” as sales of its vehicles surged last year in the UK.
True story of the killer who appeared on a dating show
Netflix film Woman of the Hour’ is based on the life of serial killer Rodney Alcala, a man who was invited on a gameshow for primetime television and won. Words: Annabel Nugent
Greatest sequel of all time?
Once described as having an overstuffed plot’, Back to the Future 2’ is now up there with the second Terminator’ and Godfather’. Geoffrey Macnab goes back to see what changed
Payne drew the short straw in One Direction; now we'll never know the real him
In and out of the boy band, Liam Payne struggled to find a defining identity, writes Mark Beaumont. His life now cut tragically short, the singer is likely to remain elusive forever
Zelensky tells EU and Nato to back his 'victory plan'
Ukraine president pushes for invitation to military alliance
US stealth bombers strike Houthi bunkers in Yemen
US B-2 stealth bombers have been used against the Iran-backed Houthis for the first time in an escalation of Washington’s response to attacks on shipping in the Red Sea that serves as a message to Tehran.