Health minister Karin Smyth was out this morning defending Rachel Reeves’ complaints about misogyny, after the Chancellor told MPs in a PLP meeting last night she wouldn’t let critics “beat” her and that she hadn’t “recognised the misogyny that still exists in public life”. Times Radio naturally asked whether people might be more interested in competence than identity politics. Smyth replied:
“Rachel is well able to challenge and relishes the challenge that she has got as the first female chancellor. I think both things can be true… She’s the first woman chancellor in 300 years, something she’s very proud of and rightly so. With that comes a lot of criticism. Every single chancellor gets criticism. I think there is a difference for a woman chancellor as well, for all women politicians, that’s not new or unusual. But those of us who are in senior positions in politics, we’ve got to crack on with it. I hope it changes.”
Meanwhile, latest Treasury briefings in the FT reveal Reeves has told banks they should praise the budget on the basis that she won’t clobber them with tax rises – a line that has already drawn fire. Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith responded:
“Farmers, pensioners and small businesses would be delighted to take one of Rachel Reeves ‘pay for praise’ deals which she seems to have offered the big banks.”
Not exactly the smoothest pre-budget communications campaign…
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