英镑跌至七个月低点！英国财政大臣里夫斯承诺削减债务，为加税铺路

Core Viewpoint - The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, is paving the way for a significant policy shift, indicating that the Labour government may abandon its core campaign promise of not raising taxes to address increasing fiscal challenges [1][4]. Group 1: Fiscal Challenges - The UK government faces a fiscal gap estimated at £35 billion, driven by high borrowing costs, costly policy reversals, and a significant downgrade in economic growth forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) [5]. - Reeves reiterated her commitment to the UK's "ironclad" fiscal rules, countering calls within her party to relax these rules for increased public spending [5]. - The core issue lies in the Labour Party's flagship tax promise during the campaign, which was to avoid raising personal income tax, National Insurance (NI), or Value Added Tax (VAT), collectively contributing to about two-thirds of government tax revenue [5]. Group 2: Political Strategy - Reeves' speech broke traditional norms, as Chancellors typically remain silent before formally presenting the budget, indicating a strategic move to garner support for a politically contentious fiscal plan [4][7]. - The speech aimed to prepare the public for potential widespread tax increases in the upcoming budget, with Reeves emphasizing the need for everyone to contribute to the country's future [6][8]. - Opposition parties criticized Reeves' address, with the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives dismissing it as ineffective and accusing the Labour Party of abandoning its commitments [6].