Rachel Reeves had said that her government was all about growth. But as she stood up to give her spring statement it was clear that green shoots could not yet be seen. The UK’s growth forecast for this year had been halved, leaving the chancellor with a problem.
It was a new world of global insecurity, she said, but her response was not to raise taxes or break her fiscal rules. Instead, she would make big cuts – including to welfare. Senior political correspondent Peter Walker explains what she announced and the decisions she has made.
With an increase in spending on defence and government decisions that mean more than 3m people could lose out from benefit cuts, many Labour MPs are unhappy. They told Helen Pidd why they believe Rachel Reeves has made the wrong choices.
