‘Wows’ abound as Reeves rails against unknown unknowns | Zoe Williams

Dutiful expressions of surprise greet chancellor’s depressing deluge of bad news

“If we cannot afford it, we cannot do it,” Rachel Reeves said, many times, during her spending inheritance speech. It was like your mum explaining why you couldn’t have sweets on the way out of the supermarket. You’re bored of hearing it, kiddo? Then stop asking.

Shehab Khan of ITV News went to the heart of the matter at the press conference, later in the day: is she really only discovering this now? And if it’s a wheeze, won’t that erode trust in politics?