Musk-style cull set to anger party MPs

RACHEL Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer are set to trigger a civil war among Labour MPs with plans for massive welfare cuts and a cull of civil servants' jobs like the one being run in the US by Elon Musk.

- Jonathan Walker

The Prime Minister wants to launch a cost-cutting drive at Whitehall modelled on America's controversial department of government efficiency, which is headed up by the Tesla and SpaceX billionaire.

But people on benefits will also be hit hard too in the desperate bid to save billions of pounds.

The Chancellor is expected to tell Parliament Labour cannot meet all of its manifesto promises after Treasury watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility gives its analysis of the public finances on March 26.

This statement will be followed on June 11 by the Spending Review, when the Government produces spending plans for the years ahead.

In October, the OBR said Ms Reeves had £9.9billion of headroom against her self-imposed rule to fund day-to-day spending through tax revenues rather than extra borrowing.

But it is now expected to say that headroom has gone, forcing her to find huge savings.

Blame

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, a close political ally of the PM, last night said there was "a moral case" for cutting welfare spending.