Douglas Alexander has insisted Chancellor Rachel Reeves did not mislead the public over looming tax rises, defending her handling of the public finances amid growing pressure for her to resign.

Speaking on BBC Scotland ’s Sunday Show, the Scottish Secretary rejected accusations that the Chancellor had concealed information about the state of the public finances ahead of last week’s Budget.

Asked directly whether Reeves had misled the public, Mr Alexander replied: “No she hasn’t. She set out very clearly on the Kuenssberg programme this morning the fact that these figures go back and forth between the OBR and the Treasury but she was very clear about the need to build the fiscal headroom.”

He added: “There was no choice simply to do nothing.”

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The Scottish secretary said

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