STARMER WILL NEED TO ‘RESHUFFLE’ REEVES TO SAVE LABOUR, PREDICTS FORMER MP

A former Labour MP has said Rachel Reeves will “completely squander” Labour’s chances of re-election if she continues “in the vein that she has”.

Speaking on GB News, Lloyd Russell-Moyle said: “I think [Rachel Reeves] made a decision. She panicked when she saw the awful figures that came in and the Treasury officials thought this is a good moment to get rid of a policy that we’ve never really liked, put it in front of her, get it signed off.

“And the political reality has now hit that it was deeply unpopular and it was the wrong thing to do. There were cleverer ways of doing it, and we have reversed it.

“And the best thing to do when you get something wrong is to reverse.

“I think her ability to step back and look to see where there are other levers that can be pushed is different now, and that wasn’t able to be done at the time.

“But I do think it was a foolish thing to do so quickly, so early on, without giving yourself time to really look to see where the difficulties in the economy were which they weren’t around the Winter Fuel Allowance.

“I think that there is still a chance for Labour turn to it around for the next election and to win, probably with a coalition or reduced majority.

“But if Rachel continues in post and continues in the vein that she has, that will be completely squandered.

“She is the least liked, when I knock on the doors, of everyone and I think that backbenchers know that.

“So, either she needs to have a complete chance of direction, or what I think is probably more likely is before the next election Keir Starmer will need to look to reshuffle.”