Spotlight on Reeves over expense claims

TULIP SIDDIQ has joined the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, in expressing full confidence in the chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has been targeted unfairly by the BBC over her expenses.

“The BBC News investigation revealed that concerns were raised about Reeves’s expenses while working at HBOS [Halifax Bank of Scotland] between 2006 and 2009,” the broadcaster said. “A detailed six-page whistleblowing complaint was submitted, with dozens of pages of supporting documents including emails, receipts and memos.

“It accused Reeves and two other managers, one of whom was her boss, of using the bank’s money to ‘fund a lifestyle’, with spending on events, taxis and gifts, including for each other.

“Reeves bought birthday presents for colleagues with HBOS’s money throughout her time in customer relations, receipts show, with purchases including wine and cosmetics.

“She also spent £152 on a handbag and perfume as a present for her boss using the bank’s money, according to the whistleblower’s report. The present was a joint gift from Reeves and one of the other managers who was later investigated alongside her.

“Reeves also used her Motivation card to spend more than £400 on a leaving meal for a colleague, which the whistleblowing complaint claimed was not a permitted use.”

The BBC also accused Reeves of embroidering her CV: “We established that the chancellor had exaggerated the length of time she worked at the Bank of England.

“Reeves has often said she spent the ‘best part of a decade’ working at the bank when setting out her credentials to run the economy to voters.

“The BBC has now established that Reeves left the Bank of England in March 2006, meaning the time she spent working there amounts to five and-a-half years.”

Whistleblowers at the Treasury have sent Eastern Eye her updated CV, which is certainly very impressive.

The BBC was amiss in not mentioning that she is a multiple Olympic gold medallist for winning the 100 metres; has a PhD on double book-keeping from Oxford; and beat both Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty for the best pupil prize when they were at Stanford. Reeves has also been awarded the Nobel Prize for creative economics.

Her former colleagues have told the BBC that they were unaware it was possible to buy personal Christmas presents on expenses.

The Daily Mail unkindly pointed out in a front-page story that there were “claims she was investigated for fiddling her expenses”.

However, her Treasury expenses leaked to Eastern Eye appear to be both legitimate and remarkably moderate:

Man bag, spectacles, suits and perfume for Sri Keir & Lady Starmer.............................. £10bn

Lunch at Bombay Palace to discuss driving out non-doms ........................................ £10bn

Dinner at Chourangi to plot VAT raids on private schools............................................ £10bn

Tea at Claridge’s to design new inheritance tax on farmers................................................ £5bn

Masala dosa at Quilon to finalise National Insurance increase...................................... £5bn

Christmas biscuits for tea ladies working at the Treasury ............................................. £1.50

Donation to a beggar on the London Underground network ..........................................50p

Total expenses claim................ £40bn plus £2

Starmer, who has signed off on the chancellor’s expenses, declared: “I am waiting for Rachel from accounts to clear my expenses.”