When Rachel Reeves urged Labour MPs at a half-empty private meeting on Monday night to back her high-stakes budget, she told them that while they might not like everything in it, she was convinced that overall it was fair.
After weeks of anxiety on the backbenches over manifesto breaches and speculation over Keir Starmer’s leadership, she was determined to reassure them that her plans were Labour through and through – and would give them plenty to offer voters on the doorstep.
