BBC Breakfast viewers dubbed Rachel Reeves “ruthless” following the announcement of her Spring Statement in the House of Commons this week. The Labour Chancellor spoke live from Cardiff on BBC Breakfast on Thursday morning (March 27) where presenter Charlie Stayt questioned her decision to cut welfare benefits. Rachel stuttered live on air after he brought to her attention that her own assessment confirmed significant cuts would put a large number of Britons in relative poverty.

Charlie stated, “On your own impact assessment you say that ‘250,000 people will be put into relative poverty by 2029 – 50,000 of those children’. Those are your own figures.” The stunned Chancellor attempted to explain herself as she appeared to stutter mid-sentence before, saying “Charlie… those… erm… figures are based on no changes in terms of people going back to work and we know that the £1billion we put in yesterday to personalise tailored support and to support people back into work will make a difference.”

She continued: “We’re going to work with the Office of Budget of Responsibility (OBR) – the official forecaster over the summer ahead of the Budget in autumn to show how those plans can make a difference.

“I was in my own constituency job centre in Pudsey last week in Leeds and I met with the work coaches there and they’re doing extraordinary things to help people with real challenges in their lives to get into work and they told me about the difference that is making.”

She went on to assure viewers her plans are to get the majority of Britons back into work.

Chancellor Reeves added: “If we can turbo charge that we don’t have to have 1 in 8 people not in education, employment or training. We don’t have to see 1000 people a day start to claim Personal Independence payments.

“There must always be support there for the most sick and disabled. Absolutely. But there are many people today who are trapped on benefits but with the proper support could be back in the workplace. And that is what I want to see for more people in our country.”

Her comments sparked fury with some viewers as one blasted the Labour government as “ruthless”.

One fumed: “Labour Party are finished. Good luck at the next General Election.”

Another blasted: “Starmer and Reeves are ruthless, sadistic automatons,” while a third argued: “They don’t care about the children, the disabled, the poor, just more broken lies from labour. Get them out now.”

A fourth questioned: “Wonder how much those new houses are that she is standing in front of! Affordable housing?”

As part of her Spring Statement, Chancellor Reeves announced welfare will be cut, with changes to Pip and universal credit confirmed, along with £500 million of extra cuts to incapacity benefit.

In her statement on changes to the public finances, Reeves announced significant cuts in spending but confirmed there will be no tax rises.

Last week the government announced huge cuts to the benefits system, saying they would save £5 billion by 2030, but now the chancellor has gone further.

Reeves announced a freeze on the health element of universal credit for new claimants until 2030, after an initial cut of 50%.