Rachel Reeves Corrects Inaccurate Information About Her Career Timeline After Scrutiny
Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, has faced criticism after discrepancies were discovered in her online CV, which exaggerated the duration of her time at the Bank of England. The details on her LinkedIn profile claimed she worked at the Bank from September 2000 to December 2006, but investigations have revealed that she actually left in March 2006, only spending five and a half years there, including nearly a year studying at the London School of Economics (LSE).
The error was only rectified after the BBC exposed it, with her profile updated to reflect the accurate dates. Reeves’ office explained that the misinformation was due to an administrative mistake and that she had not reviewed the LinkedIn entry before it was made public.
Reeves had previously boasted of her experience at the Bank, stating in interviews and speeches that she had spent a decade there, a claim she reiterated in 2021 and 2022. This assertion was also included in a Labour Party document. However, as she had already transitioned to a role at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) by March 2006, her tenure at the Bank was significantly shorter than she had publicly stated.
Her CV also contained inaccuracies regarding her time at HBOS, which her team acknowledged. The LinkedIn profile had listed her departure as December 2009, but it has been clarified that she left in mid-May 2009, after accepting a voluntary redundancy offer as part of a restructuring process at HBOS.
In response to the revelations, the Chancellor’s spokesperson emphasised that Reeves had not sought to mislead anyone and had corrected the details promptly. Nonetheless, this episode has drawn further attention to concerns about embellishments in the career histories of some politicians, prompting questions in Parliament about the accuracy of public statements by members of the Cabinet.
