Downing Street insists Rachel Reeves will be chancellor ‘for whole of this parliament’

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. Read our privacy policy Downing Street has insisted that Rachel Reeves will be the chancellor “for the whole of this parliament” as speculation mounted that Sir Keir Starmer may sack her. “We never pretended, nor would anybody sensibly argue, that after 14 years of failure, you can turn around our economy and our public services before Christmas.” Pressed again on whether or not Ms Reeves would still be in post when the country goes to the ballot box for a general election, the prime minister said: “Rachel Reeves is doing a fantastic job. She has the full confidence of the entire party.” It comes as the chancellor, who is flying back from a trip to China on Monday, faces a new serious warning as Deloitte reported that business bosses’ confidence is at one of its lowest points since the Covid pandemic in 2020. open image in gallery Rachel Reeves is doing a ‘fantastic job’, Keir Starmer said but he refused to say she would remain in post until the election After suffering a barrage of criticism for going ahead with her controversial trip to Beijing, the chancellor is being told that her management of the economy is under question from some of the country’s biggest companies. The markets are in turmoil and business confidence has crashed, yet the chancellor is nowhere to be seen.” Behind the scenes, Ms Reeves is said to be battling to prove the government’s economic plan is working, reportedly ordering cabinet ministers to be “ruthless” in identifying public spending cuts.