Hacks have been sniffing around over Reeves’ LinkedIn CV embellishment at the Lobby briefing with the Prime Minister’s spokesman just now. It’s smoke and mirrors as usual…
Asked whether ‘lying on a CV constitutes a breach of the ministerial code’, hacks were pointed to the Treasury team’s response, which on Friday was that Reeves’ “LinkedIn has been updated to reflect” that “she worked in retail banking covering various areas drawing on her background as an economist.” So, not working as an economist…
On the whole situation the PM refuses to comment on the fiddling:
“With regard to the Chancellor, the Prime Minister is very clear that the Chancellor has restored financial stability. This is someone who on coming into office looked under the bonnet and exposed a £22 billion black hole in the public finances, and has been straight with the public about what is necessary to balance the books and restore financial stability in the face of that.”
Pressed about whether he thought Reeves had been clear with the public on her work history, the spokesman added: “He is very clear that this is a Chancellor that has been straight with the public about the state of the public finances and what is necessary to restore financial stability. That is most important.” Not a vote of confidence there…
On CV embellishment hacks were pointed again to the political team. Starmer’s spokesman said the PM had not been asked “about these specific reports.” With wilful blindness like this, are Lord Alli’s spectacles not working…
Red Wall Labour backbencher Jonathan Brash told GB News that Starmer should resign:
“I’m completely fed up about it, and I think it’s got to the point now where I genuinely think that, as far as the Prime Minister is concerned, it’s not a case of if, it’s when.”