Mel Stride slams Rachel Reeves’s ‘absolutely abysmal’ record despite GDP win for Chancellor

Sir Mel Stride has slammed Rachel Reeves’s “absolutely abysmal” record on the economy, despite new data showing the UK's gross domestic product (GDP) rising.

Speaking to GB News, the Conservative Shadow Chancellor said he “disputed” that his opposite number was “responsible in any way for a strong economy”.

This morning, fresh figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the GDP rate for January to March 2026 rose by 0.6 per cent.

For March alone, the economy grew by 0.3 per cent despite fears from some that GDP would slip by 0.1 per cent or 0.2 per cent in response to the US-Iran war.

Ms Reeves has made economic growth the keystone of her fiscal agenda since Labour returned to Government in July 2024.

However, Sir Mel was unconvinced that the Chancellor should take the credit for any sunny outlook for the nation's finances.

“I would take very strong dispute with this idea that Rachel Reeves has been responsible in any way for a strong economy,” he said.

“We've seen an economy that's been loaded up with debt, we've seen spending that's been going through the roof. We've seen the welfare bill skyrocket.

"We've seen unemployment going up. We have seen very sluggish growth over the period.

“And we've seen inflation that is seen as being an outlier, higher inflation than other similar countries.

“At a time when inflation is now the big threat that we're leaning into with increased oil prices.

“So I think the record on the economy of this government has been absolutely abysmal,” the Shadow Chancellor savaged.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• UK GDP rate jumps by 0.6% despite US-Iran war in win for Rachel Reeves
• 'What leadership race?' Labour minister rubbishes challenges to Keir Starmer
• Labour on brink of civil war as Keir Starmer braces for five-way scramble for power

To that end, Sir Mel argued: “This Government clearly never had a plan, particularly on the economy.

“It went into the last election saying it was going to bring stability, and it's done quite the opposite.

“What was exposed very early on is that the Parliamentary Labour Party backbenchers do not have the backbone to actually take the decisions that the country needs.

“For example, getting on top of the welfare bill, getting people off welfare into work so that we can get taxes down on businesses and get growth going at the same time as bearing down on the deficit and the debt,” he claimed.

Sir Mel also refused to take a side amid the bubbling civil war in the Labour Party over leadership challenges to Keir Starmer.

“Irrespective of whoever ends up leading the Labour Party in the coming weeks or months, you can't get beyond the fundamental dysfunctionality of the Labour Party in Parliament,” he declared.

“You must recognise the chaos and the infighting? It must take you right back to the latter days of the Tory government,” GB News Breakfast host Ellie Costello interjected.

The Shadow Chancellor shot back: “You do not want instability.

“You don't want constant chopping and changing of leaders. I think that's absolutely right.

“I would argue very strongly that under Kemi Badenoch, now we have absolute unity in the Conservative parliamentary party.

“We have a thoroughly united Shadow Cabinet,” Sir Mel insisted.