Rachel Reeves accused of ‘playing sexism card’ as Chancellor admits she’s ‘sick of mansplaining’

She told The Times the “target” was on her back which could be “exhausting”.

Last week, Ms Reeves reversed plans to raise income tax at her Budget on November 26 with fears of a backlash due to Labour’s manifesto pledge not to raise taxes on working people.

Ms Reeves said she felt pressure to show her ability to “boys who now write newspaper columns” and label her “Rachel from accounts”.

“I’m sick of people mansplaining how to be Chancellor to me,” she said.

But former Home Secretary Suella Braverman accused her of “playing the sexist card” in a bid to distract from her “appalling record” in No 11.

Ms Reeves said the criticism she faced spurred her on “a bit”.

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The Chancellor said: “I recognise that I’ve got a target on me. You can see that in the media, they’re going for me all the time.” Each party has issued a pre budget warning to Ms Reeves ahead of next week.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: “They’re hiking taxes on people in work, to give handouts to people on benefits, the last group of people who might still vote Labour. It’s not fair, it’s not right, and we will oppose them every single step of the way.”

Reform UK’s Head of Policy, Zia Yusuf, said: “Labour has a choice. They can either go ahead and raise taxes on British citizens or they can enact our proposals which put British people first and ask foreign nationals to bear the brunt of the black hole, not British citizens.

“Most British people would consider it outrageous to expect British people to pay higher taxes or see their services cut whilst their money is being spent this way.”

Green Party Leader Zack Polanski said: “Our country is and has been for a long time now at breaking point. Life has become literally unaffordable for millions of people.

“People are angry, and I get it, our communities deserve so much better. It is time for bold policies and bold choices that make a real difference to ordinary people

“But instead of facing this reality head-on, this Labour government, like the Conservatives before it, has stood by whilst the one per get ever richer at the expense of ordinary people.”

As well as the pressure from opposition MPs, Ms Reeves is also facing demands from farmers to axe plans to introduce inheritance tax on land and businesses.

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Ahead of the Budget next week, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said Ms Reeves “cannot keep taxing businesses into the ground.”

The union said the Government must acknowledge the volatile nature of farm business income and provide greater stability as it criticised policies Labour has introduced.

The Chancellor’s plans to introduce a 20 per cent rate on agricultural land and businesses worth more than £1million have become a political flashpoint for a sector struggling with rising costs, tough market conditions and worsening climate impacts.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw warned family farms across the UK are halting investment or anticipating having to sell parts or all of their farm to pay an inheritance tax bill.

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Some horticultural businesses have also seen employment costs increase by hundreds of thousands of pounds after Ms Reeves hiked employer national insurance contributions last year, Mr Bradshaw warned.

The NFU also highlighted how farming incomes can vary year-to-year because of impacts such as climate change and changing global markets, making planning and investment difficult.

Mr Bradshaw said the impact of volatility is “written large” in recent Environment Department (Defra) farm business income figures, compiled between March 2024 and February 2025.

He said the Chancellor has the chance “to do right by Britain’s farmers and rethink the family farm tax” at the Budget on Wednesday.