𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

It became clear with lightning speed, seemingly hours after the 2024 election that “cringingly embarrassing” would be the defining characteristic of this Labour Party’s brief tenure in Downing St. Jeremy Corbyn, Peter Mandelson, antisemitism, Angela Rayner, fictional CVs, more reversals than a French tank regiment … you can literally take your pick.

But surely none will be more teeth-grindingly awks than losing a Chancellor of the Exchequer just days before the most crucial budget this country has seen for decades. Seriously, Rachel Reeves’s position becoming untenable on the eve of her make-or-break budget? I mean what are the odds? Erm, 7/2 actually, I just checked.

That’s a piece of action I might fancy a slice of. Our Rachel has repeatedly proven herself to be, how shall we put this, perhaps not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

In a moment of legendary self-perception Winnie the Pooh once said: “I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words bother me”.

Change “words” for “documents” in that sentence and you have Rachel Reeves. A Chancellor of very little brain.

Because Rachel doesn’t seem to have studied the documents very closely before renting her house out for a very tidy £3,200-a-month, while you and I pay for her new gaff at No11 Downing Street of course.

Which led to her renting without getting the required licence. And this in turn has led to furious allegations of hypocrisy and law-breaking.

As well it might. Now, I’m not saying housing law isn’t a touch on the arcane, stupifyingly tedious side, and this howler might have been forgivable had Rachel not made the teeny mistake of posting all about how vital Letting Licences were on the social media channel formerly known as Twitter a little while ago.

While many private landlords operate in the right way, we know lots that don’t, she told us while campaigning for Letting Licences in her constituency of Leeds West and Pudsey.

Doh!

The Prime Minister assured us today the matter has been dealt with. Ohhhhh, I beg to differ Keir! Actually me and 60 million other folk do.

At the top level Priti Patel has called for Reeves’ immediate prosecution, Mel Stride has called for her to be sacked (accusing Starmer of having no backbone – bit late to the party on that one Mel), while Kemi Badenoch called for her to be broken on a wheel while her bowels were extracted through her stomach.

Or so it felt.

Point is, this is not going away. Not on your Nelly.

Remember a few weeks ago when one Angela Rayner (remember her?) told us everything been dealt with? I rather think Rach is a dead woman walking in exactly the same way.

There’s an odd silver lining to this cloud though. Yet again, one of socialism’s bleeding hearts rachel Reeves, just like Rayner, has revealed herself to be a greedy little capitalist on the make. Just like the rest of us.

Absolutely nothing wrong with that, it is (or was) the engine of Britain’s economy. It’d just be nice if you could be a bit more honest about it, Rach.