Britain “should be embarrassed” that it has never had a female chancellor, the woman lined up to take the role for the first time has said. In an interview with The Independent, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves also insisted that she wants to “smash” glass ceilings and end the gender pay gap.
Unlike other countries, in 800 years the UK has never had a woman serve as chancellor, Ms Reeves said, adding: “Britain should be embarrassed that we have never had a woman in that top finance job here." In a wide-ranging interview, she also said that today's version of the infamous "I'm afraid there is no money" note should consist of "an apology" for making Britons poorer.
And she hit out at the government's changes to pension tax, which she said would benefit only those with pots 10 times larger than the UK average. Outlining an electoral divide between the Conservatives and Labour, she has pledged to reverse what she says is chancellor Jeremy Hunt's "giveaway for the wealthy".
This story is from the March 27, 2023 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the March 27, 2023 edition of The Independent.
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