45 h. ago Voices: For crying out loud: are you ready for the ‘politics of pain’ about to hit us?

I once accused the PM and his chancellor of being too gloomy, writes John Rentoul. Turns out they were not gloomy enough – and they’ll have to lead the nation through another vale of tears

Politics

46 h. ago Voices: The markets have spoken – and it is they, not the prime minister, that saved Rachel Reeves

In its response to the chancellor’s possible resignation, in the face of market jitters, the City has made it clear that she is Labour’s only candidate for No 11, says James Moore – and any attempt to replace her could prove very expensive for the country

Politics

50 h. ago Voices: Kemi Badenoch’s lack of empathy over Rachel Reeves’s tears will come back to haunt her

Neither her party nor the public seems to like the Badenoch style, writes Sean O’Grady. Her tasteless lack of empathy for the chancellor is indicative of a leadership marked by arrogant dismissiveness

Politics

68 h. ago Voices: Has Kemi Badenoch finally shown the killer instinct to save her as Tory leader?

Her filleting of Starmer and Reeves in the Commons is arguably her biggest success since becoming opposition leader. It could silence complaints by her Conservative critics that she lacks the ruthless skills needed to become prime minister, writes Simon Walters.

Events

2 d. ago Voices: Watching Rachel Reeves crying in the Commons was quietly devastating

A single tear rolled down the chancellor’s cheeks at PMQs in a rare and distressing display of emotion from the ‘Iron Chancellor’. I found myself wanting to cry too, says Victoria Richards

Politics

7 d. ago Voices: When it’s Rachel Reeves vs Andrew Bailey, I know who my money’s on

The governor of the Bank of England's response to the chancellor trying to talk up the flagging jobs market is quietly devastating, writes James Moore

Politics

2 w. ago Voices: Don’t panic, chancellor – there’s still hope for interest rate cuts

Forget homeowners with tracker mortgages or those desperate for a better deal – the person who’s hurting the most from the Bank of England’s decision not to lower interest rates is Rachel Reeves, says James Moore

Politics

2 w. ago Voices: Rachel Reeves has bet all our money on Wes Streeting saving the NHS

With the cost of living and immigration being too severely impacted by outside factors, backing the NHS was the right choice – and delivering results on health is Labour’s best chance of winning the next election, writes John Rentoul

Economics

3 w. ago Voices: First the spending review, now the economy – what else lies in wait for Rachel Reeves?

Official figures showed UK plc plunged into the red in April, contracting by 0.3 per cent. There is no sugar-coating how bad of a result that is for the chancellor, writes James Moore

Economics

3 w. ago Voices: Yes, ‘Renewal’ Reeves needs to raise taxes – but how will she pull it off?

The chancellor’s fiscal headroom is already compromised by her commitment to tackle child poverty, writes Sean O’Grady. So she needs luck – and to be more boring than ever – to raise the revenue she desperately needs

Politics

3 w. ago Rachel Reeves has given the Starmer administration a new narrative: Investment, growth and expansion

Editorial: Alongside the Brexit reset, new trade deals and planning reforms, the chancellor’s spending review should result in a stronger economy with a better long-term growth rate. But it will take time

Politics

3 w. ago There may be trouble ahead, but Labour should stick to the plan for national renewal

Editorial: With the Brexit reset, new trade deals and planning reforms, the chancellor’s spending review could result in a stronger economy with a better long-term growth rate. But it will take time

Events

3 w. ago Voices: Rachel Reeves sounded like she was fighting for her political life

Delivering her spending review, the chancellor even made her theatrical opposite number look convincing – she needs to rediscover her firebrand energy and win Labour MPs back onside, says John Rentoul

Politics

3 w. ago Voices: How Labour’s spending review was shaped by Reform UK

The chancellor insisted her choices were “Labour choices.” But as I watched her deliver her statement, I couldn’t help thinking that much of it was aimed at seeing off the rising threat to Labour from Nigel Farage, writes Andrew Grice

Politics

3 w. ago Voices: Has Rachel Reeves got the balance right in her first spending review? Join The Independent Debate

Rachel Reeves’ first multi-year spending review as chancellor delivers major investment pledges in health, housing and infrastructure, but critics have raised questions and warn that ‘sharp trade-offs are unavoidable’

Economics

3 w. ago Voices: Is Rachel Reeves a toxic influence in the workplace?

The number of job vacancies has taken a tumble just as the unemployment rate hits a four-year high – which is exactly what happens when you make it more expensive to take people on, says James Moore

Events

3 w. ago Rachel Reeves must do more than hope for the best when it comes to paying for Labour’s spending

Editorial: The chancellor has to balance the competing demands of ministers in her spending review but must make sure she keeps Britain’s finances on a secure footing

Economics

3 w. ago Voices: Rachel Reeves is undermined by a ‘spend now, pay later’ prime minister

John Rentoul says Keir Starmer is guilty of Trussonomics, albeit on a smaller scale, making promises without knowing how to pay for them – hoping that the chancellor can sort it out later

Politics

4 w. ago Voices: Rachel Reeves: I saw first hand what the Tories did to kids of my generation

Conservative governments did not care about schools or communities like mine, says the chancellor, as she reveals her motivation behind Labour’s announcement to roll out free school meals for half a million children

Politics

4 w. ago Voices: Rachel Reeves: I saw firsthand what the Tories did to kids of my generation

Conservative governments did not care about schools like mine, communities like mine or the kids I grew up with, reflects Chancellor Rachel Reeves – as she reveals her very personal motivation behind Labour’s announcement to roll out free school meals for half a million of England’s poorest children

Politics