By Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leeds West & Pudsey MP Rachel Reeves
During the general election campaign last year, I was clear that economic growth to make working people better off would be the priority of an incoming Labour government.
Thanks to the trust the people of Leeds West and Pudsey put in me, and voters up and down the country put in Labour, it is now my mission as Chancellor to deliver on this promise.
That is why last month I delivered a speech about how this Government is going further and faster to get our economy growing.
Without growth we won’t get more money in people’s pockets. We won’t be able to cut hospital waiting lists, put more police on the streets or give the next generation the opportunities to thrive.
This Labour government is determined to tear down the barriers to growth and take the right decisions in the national interest, decisions that the previous Conservative government ducked for far too long.
We want to see growth in all corners of the country – and our region is no exception.
The new National Wealth Fund, based in Leeds, will be key to harnessing billions of pounds of investment in the UK’s world-leading clean energy and growth industries and, as announced in my speech, the National Wealth Fund will work in collaboration with Combined Authorities, establishing strategic partnerships to provide deeper, more focused support for city regions such as Leeds.
The Government is backing plans to deliver a new mass transit system in West Yorkshire which is expected to transform connectivity in the city region, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority is already using £200 million of Government funding to develop the scheme.
Furthermore, the TransPennine Route Upgrade will see the delivery of a multi-billion-pound programme of east-west improvements across its 70-mile route that will tackle inequalities and better connect cities including Manchester to York via Leeds and Huddersfield. This is a key part of our commitment to improving rail connectivity across the North.
As I said in my speech, our great northern cities have so much potential and promise, and as both your Chancellor and as the proud Member of Parliament for Leeds West and Pudsey, it is my duty to harness this potential and drive our city and our region forward.
It has been fantastic spending time across the various communities in West Leeds that I have the privilege of representing in Parliament.
Since my last column two months ago, I’ve had lots of excellent school visits, caught up with local charities, as well as recording a podcast in Farsley and even meeting Santa at New Wortley Community Centre.
- During this time my team and I have continued to assist constituents with casework. If you are a constituent and there is something you think I and my office will be able to help with then please do get in touch via rachel.reeves.mp@parliament.uk or 0113 255 2311.
The opportunity for Leeds here is massive. Build the tram. Start building a second tram from Leeds station to Leeds Bradford Airport via Kirkstall Road. Start building a loop tram that allows people to get around without needing to go into the city centre. Build rail connections to Otley, Wetherby, and Tadcaster. Get HS2 finished and HS3 to Leeds built so that we’re connected to Birmingham much quicker. The economic opportunities are huge, we can do so much in the Leeds area that will also be great for all the surrounding towns, we just need to build it.
OBR just forecast her headroom gone prepare for cuts and tax rises as she us totally incompetent
Come back and call someone incompetent once you learn how to string a sentence together.
Rachel from Accounts. To think that what Liz Truss did never caused so much economic volatility yet the bank of england utterly destroyed her chances one really must wonder exactly what it was at account that has caused Miss Reeves to be so favoured by the institute? Can it simply be her zeal for global marxism under oligarchical overbeings or was it something a little more seedy? Given her flexibility with the truth, i suspect the latter.
By all means have an opinion but there is no need for misogyny and belittling.
It’s useless trying to contat Rachel Reeves, as our M.P, as she never replies to e-mails and it’s very rare her’team’ does either. I have e-mailed many times and had hardly any replies.
I think it’s disgusting that as an MP she fails in a basic duty to respond to her constituent’s emails very arrogant
and dismissive attitude to her constituents
Why should we trust a word you say when you lie on your CV about being an “economist at the Bank of England” – no, you were an intern doing a degree course. Neither were you an “economist” at HBOS, you worked in Customer Relations. And not to mention your alleged “expenses” problems…..You are not fit to be an MP never mind Chancellor, and you’ve single-handedly brought this country to its knees in 6 months. About time you resigned (along with the rest of the work-experience Labour Cabinet).
Everyone embellishes their CV, it’s not like she submitted a CV to apply for the role as Chancellor or to become an MP – she is more than qualified and experienced for the role.
Your issue is you do not like Labour therefore you will nit-pick and look for fault in everything they do.
If someone was not fit enough to be an MP, they would not last for 15 years like Rachel has.
You’re obviously on her team and will defend her every move, even if she is useless and a liar. Just because “everyone does it” doesn’t make it right,
especially in a party that was supposed to be bringing back “integrity” to politics! She only stood for Leeds West because she knew it was a safe Labour seat.
If you took the time to read the CV you accuse her of lying on you will see that she moved to Leeds before she became an MP. Do you honestly think that someone would move to Leeds as part of a near 20 year strategy to become chancellor?
Also, I am not on any team, I just like to be a voice of reason (even if some people cannot be reasoned with).
Actually griff, she was being groomed for a senior position in a future Labour government which is why she was parachuted into a safe seat. So, yes, it was part of a long term plan.
You’re quite naïve if you don’t think this kind of thing goes on in all the political parties.
Lynn, while I wouldn’t particularly disagree with your comment on Ms Reeves’ performance so far, I do wonder how you can have such a selective memory. The country was ‘on its knees’ a long time before the current chancellor took office…
Wrong! The economy was growing, inflation (not caused by the Tories BTW) was coming down – both of which have been reversed since that woman came to No. 11. It’s only going to get worse after April when unemployment will rise again, when businesses can’t afford to keep staff or give pay rises, all because of the Wicked Witch of Leeds West.
Hey Lynn, you are wrong but I know I will fail to convince you otherwise because you have a weird obsession with the Chancellor, so I wont bother.
In a world where you can be anything, be kind.