Labour will drag UK from 'wreckage of Tory misrule' and declare war on waste
Rachel Reeves has vowed to drag the economy "out of the wreckage of Tory misrule" and declared war on waste in a rousing speech to Labour Party conference.
The Shadow Chancellor said Labour would put the economy at the heart of their election pitch in what could be the last party conference before voters head to the polls next year. Ms Reeves promised to usher in an "era of economic security" by rebuilding battered public services, lifting living standards and cracking down on the waste of taxpayers' cash in a speech that earned multiple standing ovations.
She also received a surprise endorsement from former Bank of England governor Mark Carney, who sent a video message praising her as a "serious economist". In a highly unusual move, Mr Carney said it was "beyond time we put her energy and ideas into action".
(PA)Addressing a packed-out conference hall, Ms Reeves vowed to wage war on the waste of taxpayers' cash overseen by the Tories through a £4billion crackdown on consultants and unnecessary ministerial use of private jets. She said: "Taxpayers’ money should be spent with the same care with which we spend our own money. I remember my mum would sit at the kitchen table, with her bank statements and her receipts. We weren’t badly off, but we didn’t have money to spare. To my mum, every penny mattered.
"I learned that same lesson at the Bank of England. Responsibility must always come first. But for too long, Tory governments have allowed money to be wasted and taxpayers defrauded. So, Labour will wage a war against fraud, waste and inefficiency."
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Describing plans for a Covid corruption commissioner to chase down those who ripped off the taxpayer through £7.2billion of pandemic fraud, she even echoed Margaret Thatcher by declaring, "we want our money back". taxpayer". The divisive Tory PM famously declared in 1980, "I want my money back" as she tried to slash Britain's payments to the European Economic Community.
Labour would also get a grip on infrastructure spending in the wake of the chaos and spiralling costs of HS2. She said Labour set up a unit to make sure big-ticket projects were delivered on time and on budget after the bill for the high speed rail line rocketed - leading to Mr Sunak scrapping the Birmingham to Manchester section of the route.
“I will not tolerate taxpayers’ money being treated with the disrespect we have seen over recent years. I will not turn a blind eye to dither, delay and incompetence. I will hold those responsible to account. And I will demand action when they are not delivering value for money,” she said.
Chess fanatic Ms Reeves said she tried to think several moves ahead - but added: "Even I couldn’t have predicted the mayhem we have seen, week after week, year after year, from this Conservative government." From austerity to failing to plan for Brexit and Liz Truss's disastrous mini-Budget, she said the Tories had wrought havoc across Britain.
She said: "Never forget - this time last year, in their clamour to cut taxes for those at the top, the Conservatives caused market chaos, crashed the economy, and left working people to pay the price. That is why you cannot trust the Tories with our economy ever again."
Ms Reeves added: "The choice at the next election is this: five more years of the Tory chaos and uncertainty which has left working people worse off or a changed Labour Party offering stability, investment and economic security so that working people are better off. It falls to us to show that Labour are ready to serve, ready to lead and ready to rebuild Britain."
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