New finance minister Rachel Reeves said in her first cabinet speech that she wants economic policy to focus more on the needs of women “whose work is often undervalued”, the Guardian reports.
Rachel Reeves voiced her her first speech as finance ministerto the ministry staff.
He confirmed that your priority will be to promote development (something she and Keir Starmer have said repeatedly). “Not development for development’s sake, but development with a purpose… We have a long way to go… It takes a lot of work. I’m ready for it”.
Highlights of his speech
But the brief speech also included quotes that detailed how she views her work. Here are some of the most interesting lines.
- He said he wants to make sure that economic policy pays more attention to the needs of women “whose work is often undervalued”: “It is also a huge privilege to be the first female finance minister. So to all the young women and girls watching this: Let us show today that there should be no limits to your ambitions, hopes and dreams. But there is also a deeper responsibility: to the women whose work is often undervalued, who have borne the brunt of inequality and whose lives and interests are too often excluded from economic policy-making. Together, we will change that.”
- He said he wanted Treasury people to focus in the interests of the common people in policymaking. He said: “People should be more careful about their politics: I know that in an uncertain world, if we can achieve the stability, investment and reforms that the Prime Minister and I have set out, then Britain can deliver. But for families at home – I know this is about more than just lines on a graph. It’s about address the causes of the cost of living crisis and make work efficient. To rebuild our health services and schools. And to promote opportunities in every part of Britain. I will always be mindful of the people across our country whose livelihoods, public services and expectations will be raised or lowered by the decisions we make here.”
Reeves has hinted that she would consider her tenure as Chancellor a failure if she did not make a real difference to people’s lives. “I will consider my tenure a success if I know that at the end of it there will be working-class children from ordinary backgrounds living richer lives, broadening their horizons and realising their potential.”
With information from the Guardian
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