Good morning. Rachel Reeves has gone to Washington for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) – but the main audience for her public comments this week has been the one back at home.
Ahead of what is certain to be a tough budget next month, the chancellor has sought to prepare people for the prospect of tax rises and spending cuts, and pin the blame for both on the Conservatives. With the threat of Reform in mind, she has also pointed to the aftermath of Brexit. And yesterday, in an interview with the Guardian’s Heather Stewart, she insisted that the package would not amount to a return to austerity, adding that higher taxes on the wealthy “will be part of the story”.
