Rachel Reeves was last night accused of ‘going into hiding’ after the economy ground to a halt under the weight of her tax hikes.
On another dismal day for Labour, official figures showed output flatlined in July, triggering warnings from business leaders that the Government ‘cannot tax its way to growth’.
The bleak figures were met with a stony silence from the Chancellor, however, though a Treasury spokesman was forced to admit the economy ‘does feel stuck’. Ms Reeves’ failure to address the situation – ahead of what looks set to be a brutal Budget of further tax hikes in November – sparked outrage.
Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride said: ‘It’s no wonder the Chancellor has gone into hiding while the economy crumbles on her watch.’
Until now, Ms Reeves has regularly commented on economic figures, and last month hailed ‘a strong start to the year’ after the Office for National Statistics reported growth of 0.4 per cent in June.
