It follows reports of Treasury disputes with other departments on the anticipated level of spending reductions.
According to custom, Reeves popped all the balloons that were displayed at the Treasury to symbolize each department’s financial agreement after telling Radio Matt Chorley that she had made agreements with every member of her cabinet.
Reeves expressed empathy for “the mess” her coworkers had inherited, but she also maintained that departments needed to find ways to cut costs in order to balance the budget.
The custom of hanging balloons in the Chief Secretary to the Treasury’s office to symbolize spending agreements that need to be negotiated with government ministries has been adopted by chancellors in recent budgets.
The balloons are popped when settlements are reached.
“There are no balloons left in the Chief Secretary’s office – the balloons have been burst,” Reeves stated in the exclusive interview.
There have been increasing rumors in the lead-up to the Budget that the Cabinet is uneasy about the spending cuts required to reach the Treasury’s £40 billion savings goal.
According to News, the Treasury failed to meet its original deadline of October 16 to complete all significant budget measures and submit them to the Office of Budget Responsibility, which oversees expenditures, before the budget was released.
