Although Rachel Reeves takes advice from all her predecessors – including George Osborne – she models herself on Gordon Brown the most.
Brown, the UK’s longest-serving chancellor, prided himself on his prudence. “Prudence with a purpose” was one of his slogans andThe Prudence of Mr Gordon Brown was the title of William Keegan’s 2003 book about him, written as its subject prepared himself (prematurely) to move next door to No 10.
