LIZZY BUCHAN: I was in the room for Rachel Reeves's speech - and one thing was clear
In a Labour conference speech, Rachel Reeves warned of 'further tests' in the months ahead, with choices she has to make 'made all the harder by harsh global headwinds'
Lizzy Buchan is the Mirror's Political Editor. She has been reporting from Westminster since 2017, with a particular interest in work, trade unions, child poverty, defence and foreign policy. If you have a tip, please get in touch by email.
Rachel Reeves sought to fire up party faithful in her Labour conference speech as she vowed to bring prosperity to every part of Britain.
The Chancellor reeled off a list of achievements - from saving jobs at British Steel and Jaguar Land Rover to free breakfast clubs, policing and cash for the NHS - as she urged people to take pride in "the choices we are making and the lives we are changing".
But there was a clear message underneath. Steel yourselves - tax rises are coming.
Reeves described the "further tests" in the months ahead, with the choices she has to make "made all the harder by harsh global headwinds and the long term damage done to our economy".
In a not-so-veiled swipe at Andy Burnham's calls for a different economic strategy, she warned voters would punish Labour for losing control of the public finances.
READ MORE: 10 bombshells from Rachel Reeves' speech - Farage dig to hit squad pledgeUnder Liz Truss, the Tories “sent mortgages spiralling, our pensions in peril and consigned their party to utter irrelevance”, she said.
And she warned against those who "peddle the idea that we can just abandon economic responsibility, cast off any constraints on public spending.", adding: "They’re wrong. Dangerously so. "
It was clear that Ms Reeves is unmoved by calls in Labour ranks to tear up her strict fiscal rules. This leaves her with two options - tax rises or public spending cuts, with tax the most likely option.
The speech showed a side of Reeves you don't always see on TV - steely, confident and fired up.
A heckler with a Palestinian flag was dealt with deftly, as she told him: "We understand your cause and we are recognising a Palestinian state. But we are now a party in government, not a party of protest."
If anything, the interruption only seemed to fire her up further. She won multiple standing ovations as she vowed to stand up for British industry, to lift kids out of poverty and to win the battle against Reform.
The Chancellor has a tough task to balance the books and to keep the party on side. Today she showed she was up for the fight.
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