Ms Reeves also claimed her policies laid the groundwork for her successor, John Healey, to deliver cost of living support in last week’s Budget.
The £24billion fiscal buffer she built up allowed Mr Healey to absorb the economic impact of the Iran war while still maintaining a £15billion cushion of headroom.
Ms Reeves used her Harvard address to renew her call for Britain to rejoin the European Union, describing the 27-member bloc as the “single biggest opportunity” to boost incomes, fund public services and strengthen national security.
“I firmly believe Britain’s future lies inside the European Union. Economically, it is the credible choice. Britain’s values, and a serious assessment of the geopolitical scene today, tell us it is the radical choice too,” she said.
No deal with any other nation or trading group could make up for the distance from Britain’s closest and largest commercial partner, she added.
The former chancellor also sounded the alarm over artificial intelligence, warning that too little attention was being paid to the threat it posed to Britain’s strengths in services and knowledge-intensive industries.
