Political commentator Andrew Neil has issued a warning to Rachel Reeves that her days “maybe numbered” as the Chancellor has “run out of ideas.”

Neil blasted the Chancellor’s plans to stabilise “public finances” and that Labour wanting to make unions boost productivity is a “ludicrous.”

The veteran broadcaster wrote on X, Neil said, “Chancellor Rachel Reeves has let it be known that she plans a war on ‘waste and inefficiency’ across the public sector to stabilise her increasingly shaky hold on the public finances, in which she will leave ‘no stone unturned.’

First, the idea this government will do anything to tackle the dead hand of public-sector unions opposed to most reforms which would increase productivity is ludicrous. Just about every stone will be left unturned.

“Second, when politicians fall back on ‘waste and inefficiency’ as their get out of jail card you know they’ve run out of ideas and that their days in office are maybe numbered.”

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Appearing on Sky News the Science Minister Peter Kyle was hit with the reality there will be 0% growth in the UK.

Sky News presenter Trevor Phillips showed Kyle a chart which proves just how much Labour has damaged the UK economy since the Autumn Budget on 30 October 2024.

Phillips said, “Unless you confront that, no matter how many promises you make about what you’re going to do, that’s the reality that markets are looking at.”

Kyle responded, “That is the reality we’ve had for 14 years. Highest tax for 80 years, lowest growth. We’ve been stuck in that vice. We are trying to break it. Now, yes the Chancellor (Rachel Reeves) raised taxes, but look at where we’re investing.

Phillips asked what is Labour’s message to lenders who believe their money is safer in other countries.

Kyle said, “You know full well I would not comment on those sort of interactions because the market needs to be independent of government… I do have a message. The message is the same for every single person listening. We inherited a massive black hole, unfunded spending commitments. We have fixed those foundations.”

There is a lot of concern over the government’s borrowing and there is fears that the Chancellor will not meet her spending and debt targets, which could see further tax rises when Reeves gives her fiscal statement in March.

Last week the Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride ripped into the Chancellor saying she is no where to be seen and that she should cancel her trip to China and deal with the financial mess.

Stride told Sky News the Chancellor’s trip to China was “tone deaf” and she should be in the UK “reassuring” the markets.

Stride added, “The fact we are now paying about £12billion a year more on servicing our national debt as a result of these market moves has real implications for people.

“We’ve seen in a matter of a short number of days now, yields on bonds rocket up, the cost of servicing our national debt go up.

“That 12 billion could employ 300,000 nurses. It could pay for all our prisons and judges in the UK for a year. It could pay the pensioners who have had their winter fuel payment taken away from them, it could pay that for eight and a half years.

“That’s the size of the problem that she’s created and she should be here to reassure markets.”

Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury wrote in the Sunday Telegraph, “When speaking to our colleagues in Cabinet, we have been abundantly clear about the mess we were left and the fiscal picture in front of us.

“Firstly, we simply cannot operate in a business-as-usual way when reviewing departmental budgets for the coming years.

“Secondly, when it comes to tackling waste, nothing is off the table.

“That’s why we will leave no stone unturned when it comes to rooting out waste across the public sector.

“Departments have been told they must find savings and efficiencies across their budgets while making sure every pound of taxpayer money is spent wisely.”