The Chancellor will be used as the scapegoat if Labour suffers disaster in May’s elections
Keir Starmer with Rachel Reeves at a Labour Party event (Image: Getty)
Keir Starmer is planning to sack Chancellor Rachel Reeves if Labour suffers devastating election defeats in May as expected, it has emerged. She will become the scapegoat for bad results in votes for the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments, and local elections across England.
One Labour MP said: “Someone’s head is going to have to roll and he is determined it won’t be his,” the Daily Mail reports. Sir Keir has lost patience with his Chancellor following a series of bungled decisions including pensioners’ winter fuel payments, planned cuts to disability benefits and increases in business rates for pubs and other hospitality firms.
However attempts to pin the blame on Ms Reeves could backfire, with some Labour MPs angry at what they see as a lack of direction from the Prime Minister himself.
Rachel Reeves is said to be furious that she has not been taken to China with Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the three day trip – in a sign that the pair are not as close as they used to be.
The Chancellor has been “spitting feathers” and complaining to her aides about missing out on the Prime Minister’s trip to Beijing, the Express revealed.
She’s especially angry because the Prime Minister is being accompanied by top British business leaders. Treasury sources have denied the reports.
In a sign of the concern in Downing Street, Keir Starmer has ordered all 404 Labour MPs to make campaigning visit to Gorton and Denton, in a bid to avoid humiliation in next month’s by-election.
Bookmakers have Reform candidate Matt Goodwin as the favourite to win in the February 26 poll, after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham was blocked from standing for Labour.
The Green Party, who will name their candidate today, insist the vote is now a two-horse race. Leader Zack Polanksi said: “We alone will be taking the fight to Reform”.
Sir Keir has appointed junior transport minister Andrew Western to oversee Labour’s campaign, and every Labour MP has been told they must visit the North West constituency at least once before polling day. Labour is to name its candidate on Saturday, with four local councillors including Bury Council leader Eamon O’Brien in the running.
But the fallout from the decision to bar Mr Burnham continued, as the mayor insisted he was “probably in a better position than anybody” to prevent Reform gaining the seat, which Labour held in 2024 with a majority of 13,413.
Sir Keir was among members of Labour’s National Executive Committee to vote in favour of blocking Mr Burnham and the pair spoke on Monday in an effort to clear the air.
