Rachel Reeves has repeatedly dodged questions about why she edited her CV to claim she had worked as an economist at the Bank of Scotland.
In her first broadcast interview since the story emerged, sparking claims she has misled the Labour Party and voters about her work history, she failed to answer the simple questions.
Speaking to ITV news this lunchtime, Ms Reeves said: “I’m really proud of having worked as an economist at the Bank of England before I became an MP, and also in financial services at Halifax Bank of Scotland.
“I’ve got the experience to do this job as Chancellor of the Exchequer as well as the 14 years I had as an MP, chairing the business select committee and as shadow chancellor.
“People should judge me on the job that I do – fixing the economy, fixing the mess that we inherited from the Conservative government.”
She was pressed to explain why there had been a quiet edit to her LinkedIn profile, which saw her listing as an economist at the Bank of Scotland changed to “retail banking”.
The Chancellor insisted: “I am an economist, I studied economics I got a masters in economics from the London School of Economics and I worked as an economist at the Bank of England.
“I then used that experience in the private sector working for Halifax bank of Scotland where I worked in financial services before I became an MP 14 and a bit years ago.”
Asked for a third time what had changed to cause her to edit her social media work history, she repeated her claim that she did work as an economist.
The Guido Fawkes website, which first broke the story about her LinkedIn edit, described the interview as a “car crash”.
On November 18, Downing Street insisted that the Chancellor has been “straight” with the British public about her career history.
Keir Starmer’s official spokesman defended Ms Reeves as someone who’s been “straight with the public” in response to the widespread criticism.
Asked if the PM was concerned that Reeves had exaggerated her CV, the PM’s spokesperson told journalists at the morning lobby briefing: “The prime minister is very clear that the chancellor has restored financial stability.”
“This is someone who on coming into office looked under the bonnet and exposed a £22bn black hole in the public finances, and has been straight with the public about what is necessary to balance the books and restore financial stability in the face of that.”
Asked again about the stories, the spokesperson said: “The PM is very clear that this is a chancellor that has been straight with the public about the state of the public finances and what is necessary to restore financial stability. That is most important.”
However the Tories have written to the Chancellor demanding answers to six key questions about her history.
Richard Holden described the row as “incredibly serious” and one that raises “significant concerns about your ability to be honest with the British public”.
