Voters say Reeves must quit as Budget black hole claim collapses

Voters say Reeves must quit as Budget ‘black hole’ claim collapses

Rachel Reeves is facing open revolt from voters, business leaders and even her own MPs after a bombshell poll showed the public want her gone for “lying” about a so-called £30 billion Budget black hole that simply didn’t exist. The Mail on Sunday poll delivers a crushing verdict: by 68% to 32%, voters say the Chancellor should resign for misleading the country before unleashing her tax-hiking “Benefits Street Budget.”

And the scandal now engulfs No 10 itself. Downing Street admitted on Saturday night that Sir Keir Starmer knew full well there was no black hole when Reeves repeatedly claimed the nation’s finances were in crisis and warned of “hard choices.” In reality, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had told her weeks ago that the Treasury had a £4.2 billion surplus — not a gaping deficit.

Instead of levelling with the public, Reeves pressed ahead with a £30 billion raid on taxpayers. She even staged an unusual pre-Budget press conference to paint a picture of doom, hinting she may need to break Labour’s manifesto promise on income tax. Four days later, she delivered a Budget stuffed with stealth tax rises, most of them funnelled into benefit hikes demanded by Labour’s Left.

Now the backlash is fierce. Former Bank of England economist Andrew Sentance says she should go. Even Unite boss Sharon Graham has condemned the assault on working people. Nigel Farage calls both Starmer and Reeves “deceitful” and demands they resign. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accuses the Chancellor of “creating her own alternative reality” and treating voters “like fools,” pointing out the OBR directly told Reeves she didn’t need to hammer the public with tax hikes.

Inside Labour, the mood has turned poisonous. MPs say they were “marched up a hill” to defend Reeves’ phantom black hole — only to discover it never existed. One former minister says no Chancellor in history would survive such a scandal. Another warns Reeves’ fate is tied to Starmer: “If she goes, Keir goes.”

The OBR, meanwhile, is braced for retaliation. Reports emerged that Treasury ministers have been muttering about “big plans” for the watchdog next year, fuelling fears of revenge for revealing the private advice that detonated this crisis. The Treasury denies it — but nervous MPs say the damage is done.

In the polling booths, the mood is even more brutal. A staggering 97% of 87,541 Daily Mail readers say Reeves must resign. And 65% of voters think the Labour government will collapse before the end of its term.

In the coming days, Reeves is expected to be dragged before the Commons for an emergency statement. Ministers admit the situation is “serious.” Tory strategists smell blood. Labour MPs are openly mutinous. And the Chancellor stands accused of misleading the public, the markets, and Parliament itself.

One weary Labour MP summed up the chaos: “She lied about the black hole. The OBR said it did not exist.”

Yet despite the fury, the consensus inside Westminster is bleak: Reeves will cling on — because the Prime Minister cannot survive without her. But both may now be limping towards the same political cliff edge.

Key Takeaways:

• Poll shows 68% of voters think Rachel Reeves should resign for misleading the public about a non-existent Budget black hole.

• No 10 admits Starmer also knew the OBR had told Treasury there was a surplus — not a deficit.

• Labour MPs, business figures and economists say Reeves’ position is “perilous,” but she may survive only because bringing her down could take Starmer with her.

Source: Daily Mail