‘She lied!’ Labour minister faces tense grilling on GB News after latest claims about Rachel Reeves’s past

Reeves and two colleagues were the subject of an expenses probe while she was a senior manager at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) in the 2000s.

Speaking on GB News, Kyle insisted the Chancellor has answered the questions required and should be allowed to get on with the real issues facing Britons.

Ellie asked: “She’s potentially been economical with the truth on her CV. This is the second time it has happened.

“This is very serious, isn’t it?”

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Kyle responded: “The person who was director of HR for HBOS at that time said no file passed her desk and there was no investigation. Rachel Reeves has said that.

“On the CV thing, she has apologised. Someone who works for her did her account on LinkedIn.

“Look at what we’re talking about. We have someone who was a trained economist, who worked as an economist, bringing that experience into government.”

Eamonn Holmes interjected to praise Reeves’s “impressive” CV, adding “why the need to embellish it?”

Kyle said: “She has addressed these issues so many times. There was a six or nine month discrepancy.

“Look at what she has achieved since she has come in. She’s fixed the foundations and got growth into the economy.”

Eamonn disputed Kyle’s point, saying Reeves is yet to fix the economy.

The Chancellor received an unexpected boost this week as figures from the Office for National Statistics showed gross domestic product rose by 0.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Kyle acknowledged the figure was “not enough”, adding: “After just six months of government when we have inherited a £22bn black hole, you can see we’re getting the foundations right.

“Look at what we’ve been talking about as part of our growth plan. The expansion of Heathrow, the Oxcam link, 1.5 million houses, this is just the start.

“Because of her training and background, she understands how to fix our economy. Look at what she is using her experience for.”

Ellie said: “The point is, she has lied. She lied to businesses about her experience. Why should the public trust her to be a good custodian of the economy?”

Kyle hit back at the “extraordinary” level of scrutiny into the CV “error”, saying Rachel Reeves has repeatedly denied the claims.

According to the BBC investigation, a whistleblower submitted a six-page complaint accompanied by dozens of pages of evidence, including receipts, about the conduct of Reeves and two colleagues.

The complaint alleged they were using company expense accounts to "fund a lifestyle", including lavish dinners and taxis.

Receipts showed Reeves purchased earrings for her PA, Linda Barrowclough, who said she had assumed they were "personal gifts [and] they'd have come out of her own pocket".

The internal audit in April 2009 reportedly found there was a case to answer. The following month, Ms Reeves and her boss left the bank, while the third manager was on sick leave and did not return.

A spokesperson for Reeves said she was "not aware of an investigation nor was she interviewed, and she did not face any disciplinary action on this or any other matters".

The spokesperson added: "All expenses were submitted and signed off in the proper way."