Labour conference live: Reeves hints at tax rises in Budget as she unveils youth unemployment plan – UK Times

It is always interesting watching government ministers take on multiple broadcast interviews on the so-called “morning round”.

Different interviewers take different paths and prioritise different stories, but there are always some constants.

At only 7.30am, Rachel Reeves has now repeated her go-to “line” multiple times, and will continue to do so as she faces a handful more interviews.

Facing pressure ahead of the Budget, with the economy stagnating, Ms Reeves told Sky News: “If someone had said 15 months ago that we would have had the fastest growing economy in the G7 in the first half of this year, five cuts in interest rates and trade deals with the biggest economies in the world, the US, India, and the European Union, I think you would have said, I don’t think so, chancellor. But we have achieved those things and I’m proud of them.”

She said almost exactly the same more than once on BBC Radio 5 Live and will no doubt repeat it elsewhere.

Rachel Reeves has hinted the black hole in Britain’s public finances will be filled with tax hikes and not more borrowing when she delivers November’s Budget.

Asked by Sky News whether the hole “whatever the size… will be filled by tax increases, not more borrowing and not spending cuts”.

The chancellor said her election promise to “return economic and fiscal stability to the economy” is “solemn”.

“And that is anchored around the fiscal rules that say that we will pay for day to day spending through tax receipts, and they will get debt down as a share of GDP,” Ms Reeves said.

She also hinted spending cuts could be found elsewhere, adding that they would be part of the “combination” used to restore the public finances.

Rachel Reeves has declined to follow Sir Keir Starmer in calling Nigel Farage’s immigration plan “racist”.

The chancellor joined the prime minister in criticising it as “immoral” and wrong.

But asked directly whether she agreed with Sir Keir that it is “racist”, she avoided repeating the claim.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, she said: “I do think that is wrong and an immoral policy, and it’s not one that we would pursue.”

Rachel Reeves has been challenged after touting the performance of the economy under Labour.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the chancellor said: “If someone had said 15 months ago, you’d have the fastest growing economy in the G7, five cuts to interest rates, more jobs in the economy, and three trade deals with the biggest trading blocks in the world, the US India and the European Union.

“People said that wouldn’t be possible, but we’ve achieved that, and I’m proud of those achievements.”

Presenter Nicky Campbell quickly rebutted, telling Ms Reeves: “I’m just quite surprised to hear your characterization of how things are going, because growth is slowing down to the point of being stagnant.

“According to the latest figures that we’ve got, businesses are clearly fed up. There are 150,000 fewer payroll jobs after your first budget. And this, this is, this is all on you, isn’t it? You know, do you not recognize that?”

Ms Reeves replied: “Well, I’m the first to say there is more to do.”

Rachel Reeves is setting out Labour’s plans to ensure young people who can work take up offers of employment, do.

The chancellor has said those who have been on universal credit for 18 months, who do not re-enter the education system or take up an apprenticeship, will be offered guaranteed paid work.

She admitted no businesses have signed up to provide the guaranteed jobs, because “we have not got to that stage yet”.

But she said businesses would be signed up between today’s announcement and her Budget in November. Those who do not accept the guaranteed paid work face being stripped of their benefit payments under Labour’s plans.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has hailed the UK–Australia relationship as he vowed to “defend democracy itself” alongside “my mate”, Sir Keir Starmer.

The two leaders embraced on stage in Liverpool at the UK Labour Party conference yesterday.

“We all know this is a time when trust in governments and institutions is under challenge,” Mr Albanese said.

He said he shared a “determination” with the British prime minister and an “absolute resolve to stand together and defend democracy itself”.

“Tearing things down is easy but it doesn’t leave you with anything. The low politics of fear and resentment are easy but they only divide the country, they don’t advance it,” he said.

Labour is taking the fight to Trumpian critics of diversity and equality, with the tech secretary vowing to “smash the glass ceilings” holding women and people of colour in the tech industry back.

With Reform UK threatening to sack diversity officers in councils across the country, Liz Kendall is taking the fight to Nigel Farage and ramping up the government’s efforts to boost representation.

On current trends, it would take 283 years for women to make up an equal share of the tech workforce, according to the BCS Chartered Institute for IT.

Archie Mitchell has more.

Protesters gathered outside the Labour Party conference in Liverpool yesterday to oppose plans for a new national digital ID card.

Demonstrators carried banners reading “No to digital ID”, as they warned the scheme could pave the way for surveillance and the exclusion of vulnerable groups. The protest remained peaceful under police watch.

The protest comes days after Sir Keir Starmer unveiled proposals for a new “BritCard” digital ID system.

Andy Burnham hit out at a “climate of fear” in Labour as he called for a “debate on our direction” on the first day of the party’s conference in Liverpool.

The Greater Manchester mayor was greeted with multiple rounds of applause as he criticised the Labour leadership’s handling of dissent, attacking a situation where party members were “suspended for liking a tweet by another political party” or “a Member of Parliament loses the whip for trying to protect disability benefits”.

He said: “One thing I am worried about, and I think we do need to debate at this conference in my view, is how can you have an open debate about all of those things if there’s too much of a climate of fear within our party and the way the party is being run.”

Energy minister Ed Miliband has said it is “possible” the government should come off X, because Elon Musk is a “dangerous man”.

Speaking at a fringe event at the Labour conference, Mr Miliband said: “It’s not just that [Nigel] Farage wants less workers’ rights and all those things. Even though he poses as something else, he is now part of a global network of the far right, a global network of billionaires like Elon Musk who want to take away people’s rights, take away people’s freedoms, and we need to have that argument.”

Mr Miliband said of Musk: “He called for the overthrow of our government. He incited violence on our streets. His platform, X, promotes disinformation. He’s a dangerous person.”

Asked if that meant the government should leave X, he said: “It’s possible.”

Mr Musk appeared via video link at a far-right rally in London organised by convicted criminal Tommy Robinson, where he called for a “change of government”. He said: “Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die.”