Rachel Reeves Spending Spree Sparks Backlash as Critics Say Britain Is Being Dragged Towards Disaster

This week’s Spending Review from Rachel Reeves landed with a bang in Westminster, but not everyone’s impressed with the Chancellor’s bold plans. What was meant to be a confident show of ambition turned into a full-blown spectacle, complete with eye-watering numbers and an avalanche of new commitments that critics say feel completely disconnected from reality.

When Reeves first entered the Cabinet last July, she pitched herself as a serious figure determined to get the country’s finances back on track. That image seems to have been tossed aside now, as she rolled out a vast list of expensive promises that some are calling reckless and over-the-top. What was meant to sound like fiscal responsibility now has the air of a Government on a spending binge, with Reeves drawing heavy comparisons to “Rachel from the Insolvency Division” rather than the Iron Chancellor she once aspired to be, reported the Express.

Her review included £30 billion more for the NHS, record levels of school funding, £4 billion a year for affordable housing, and a staggering £11 billion boost to defence spending. In total, a massive £190 billion in extra day-to-day spending has been pledged for public services, all under what’s being described as a “tight settlement.”

And that’s not even counting the major infrastructure splurges. There’s the £14 billion nuclear plant at Sizewell C, £15 billion promised for transport links across the north of England, and an incredible £86 billion committed to science and technology research.

Despite what some commentators claim, this isn’t austerity. In fact, the size of the state is now larger than it’s ever been, with the public sector accounting for around 20% of all jobs. The civil service alone has ballooned, adding nearly 100,000 staff since 2016 and now standing at more than half a million.

Alongside this, the welfare system continues to grow, with some critics arguing it fuels dependency and fails to encourage people back into work. The Government’s apparent generosity is also stirring unrest among public sector unions, who are demanding higher pay and resisting changes to outdated practices.

Reeves was cheered in the Commons as she delivered her plan, but outside Parliament the mood was far more cautious. The economy shrank by 0.3% in April, which many believe is a direct result of rising taxes squeezing businesses. At the same time, job losses are creeping up, with 55,000 lost in April alone.

The nation’s finances paint a grim picture. The deficit now sits at £150 billion, and the total national debt has soared to £2.7 trillion. Worse still, we’re forking out £100 billion a year just to pay the interest – that’s more than what’s spent on defence or the justice system. With borrowing already stretched, many fear Reeves will have no choice but to raise taxes again, pushing the tax burden to levels not seen since World War Two.

While Reeves has been talking up a grand “renewal” of Britain, critics argue she’s doing quite the opposite – dragging the country towards financial disaster under a mountain of debt and spending that simply doesn’t add up.

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