Former Conservative chancellor Ken Clarke has backed Labour’s Rachel Reeves, labelling her “reassuring” and “accountable”.
Lord Clarke, who served as chancellor underneath John Main from 1993-1997, revealed to the i’s new podcast, “Labour’s Plan for Energy”, that he has been impressed by Labour’s shadow chancellor.
Because the Seventies, Clarke has served within the governments of Ted Heath, Margaret Thatcher, John Main and David Cameron.
Apart from helming the Treasury underneath Main, Clarke’s esteemed CV consists of the posts of house secretary, well being secretary, schooling secretary, justice secretary and paymaster basic.
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He now sits within the Home of Lords as a Conservative.
Chatting with the i, he mentioned he supported Reeves’ “uncompromising” method to her financial system transient, which has included spearheading the choice to water down Labour’s flagship £28 billion inexperienced prosperity plan.
On the time, Reeves justified watering down Labour’s inexperienced spending dedication by saying such pledges should be per the occasion’s “fiscal guidelines”.
Clarke additionally urged that Reeves and chancellor Jeremy Hunt represented the identical view of how one can run the Treasury. He mentioned the shadow chancellor’s macroeconomic coverage “matches” Hunt’s.
Clarke advised the i: “It’s her occasion that worries me. Properly, it’s virtually true in each circumstances, truly. But when it was Jeremy Hunt and Rachel Reeves, then I don’t assume both of the events would fear me very a lot.
“I don’t assume they disagree on very a lot. They do, after all, politically, I do myself disagree with a few of Rachel’s political beliefs, I’m certain.
He added: “However her precise method, a accountable method to macroeconomic coverage, matches the accountable method to macroeconomic coverage that Jeremy Hunt has, which is within the current shambles of British and worldwide politics and the risks of it I discover somewhat reassuring — about the one factor I do discover reassuring about this election that’s developing.”
Clarke additionally provided his help to Jeremy Hunt amid rumours the chancellor may very well be reshuffled out of the Treasury within the coming weeks.
He mentioned: “I believe we’ve obtained a superbly good Chancellor. I would definitely hold Jeremy there. And I don’t assume Rishi disagrees. I’m certain sometimes there’s at all times pressure between the Prime Minister and the Chancellor and typically rows.
“However Rishi and Jeremy I believe are most likely extra fairly shut on financial coverage. A wonderfully good Chancellor, let him get on with it.”
“I believe the demand for a reshuffle is sort of as daft because the demand for tax cuts and neither of them will do any good within the sense of successful votes”, he added.
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