Talks expected to focus on defence and trade amid UK reservations over negotiations on freedom of movementChancellor Rachel Reeves defended the decision to restrict winter fuel payments despite rising energy bills.The PA news agency reports that Reeves told broadcasters in Scotland:When I became chancellor of the exchequer, I inherited a £22bn black hole in the public finances.Taking no action wasn’t an option, because that would have made it difficult for the government to finance its needs, and we would have ended him up in the same position that the previous Conservative government ended up in, with mortgage rates and interest rates spiking and pensions being put in peril.It’s not decision I wanted to make. It was a decision that I had to make in incredibly challenging circumstances to put our public finances on a firm footing.” Continue reading…
Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2024/aug/28/keir-starmer-olaf-scholz-brexit-uk-politics-live-updates
Author : Amy Sedghi
Publish date : 2024-08-28 09:29:34
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Starmer meets Scholz with Germans keen on youth mobility deal – UK politics live
