Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, has been accused of lying about her work history after editing her online CV.
The Controversial LinkedIn Edit
Reeves recently updated her LinkedIn profile, removing a claim that she worked as an economist at the Bank of Scotland between 2006 and 2009. Her profile now states that she worked in “retail banking” instead. This change has led to accusations of being “economical with the truth.”
The employer listed on her profile now reads Halifax, a division of the Bank of Scotland since the two banks merged in 2001.
Allegations of a “More Mundane” Role
This update follows allegations published by the Guido Fawkes political blog last month. The blog suggested that Reeves misrepresented her role at the Bank of Scotland. According to the report, she had actually worked in a less glamorous position within the bank’s complaints team, rather than as an economist.
Retail banking, sometimes known as consumer or personal banking, involves offering financial services to the public, such as handling customer queries and processing transactions.
Reeves’ Maiden Speech and Further Confusion
In her maiden Mansion House speech, Reeves mentioned her work in “financial services” at the Bank of Scotland. She also stated she had worked as an economist at the Bank of England before entering politics.
However, her LinkedIn profile suggests that Reeves went directly from the Bank of England to Halifax, where she stayed until December 2009. Five months later, she was elected as a Member of Parliament.
What Was Reeves’ Actual Role?
Sources close to the Treasury have stated that Reeves’ role at HBOS involved administrative tasks, IT work, and projects within the complaints team. A Treasury insider explained that her LinkedIn profile was updated to reflect her experience in retail banking, which they claimed “drew on her background as an economist.”
However, they did not clarify whether they saw the update as a correction or simply a clarification.
Political Reaction and Accusations of Deception
The controversy was quickly seized upon by Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “Reeves said she was an economist. Turns out she’s just economical with the truth.”
The Conservatives have also accused Reeves of “deception.” A source told The Express: “It seems Rachel Reeves’s employment history claims are about as accurate as her promises not to raise taxes on working people—based on deception and increasingly proved false.”
Reeves often highlights her experience as an economist at the Bank of England, where she worked from 2000 to 2006, including a secondment to the British Embassy in Washington, DC.
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