'Questions as Chancellor prepares to drop tax bombshell' - Your Letters: February 8

QUESTIONS OVER CHANCELLOR

Rachel Reeves makes a lot of her time working as an economist. After serving in a trio of junior positions at the Bank of England, Rachel says that in 2006 she moved to the Bank of Scotland to work as an “economist,” before leaving in 2009 to serve as MP.

Reeves’ boilerplate biography, given to event organisers for her speaking events, says: “Previously, she worked as an economist at the Bank of England, the British Embassy in Washington DC and latterly at Halifax Bank of Scotland.” She is constantly praised for having an “economist brain.” She speaks of her time at HBOS in the midst of the financial crisis: “When economies tumble, it is those on the lowest incomes who suffer most. Some people lost their jobs but also their sense of pride.“

The organisation Guido probed these claims after numerous former colleagues of Reeves got in touch to raise questions over her CV.

The Chancellor states on her LinkedIn that she was working as an “economist” at HBOS. This is not true. Guido can reveal that Reeves worked in a mundane support department at the bank, according to multiple former colleagues. Within the Halifax/HBOS Complaints team there was a small support unit which managed administration processes, IT matters, and small projects and planning. It was a team of three people far from the Economics Department. Reeves held a mid-level position. HBOS was acquired by Lloyds in 2009 and the Chancellor left in December of that year to pursue a career in politics.