Unemployment has risen since Labour came to power

Rachel Reeves is engaged in a complicated dance with the Office for Budget Responsibility in the run up to her second Budget.

When the fiscal watchdog presents its scorecard on the Chancellor’s plans – and on wider government policies – the music will stop and we’ll see whether Reeves pulls off a surprising lift, or ends up on the floor.

In Opposition, Labour couldn’t have been more supportive of the OBR’s role, vowing to strengthen its remit and happily imbuing it with god-like authority as part of their relentless (and entirely justified) attacks on the Tory party’s Liz Truss experiment.

But life comes at you fast, and nearly 18 months into office it’s no secret that ministers are deeply frustrated with the OBR ; the Chancellor has

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