Reeves denies she is attempting to impose ‘austerity 2.0’ with draconian spending review cuts

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Reeves has launched her spending review She said: “The difference here is that we’re not asking for cuts because we’ve set real terms increases to government spending. Real terms, spending will increase during the course of this parliament, but we need to drive out wasteful spending so that we can redeploy waste to productive things that government do.” The chancellor also insisted: “I don’t like waste.” She went on: ”The spending review has got to drive up productivity and efficiency, and it’s got to drive waste out of public services. “That’s why we’re conducting a zero based spending review, which means looking at every line of government expenditure and judging whether it offers good value for money for taxpayers, and recognise that people are being taxed a lot at the moment, and it is vital that their money is used properly.” But critics raised concerns that she has appointed bankers to oversee the review. Failing to bolster mental health services for the future would be extremely short-sighted and counter-productive, leading to a more unwell nation and directly undermining the government’s plans for growth, as well as other commitments such as reforming the Mental Health Act.” But defending her position, Ms Reeves said: “I had to make a number of difficult decisions when we came into office, the previous government left a £22 billion black hole in the public finances, public services were on their knees at the budget in October, I wiped the slate clean after the mismanagement and chaos of the previous Conservative government.”