A cabinet minister was forced to deny that Rachel Reeves is preparing to usher in a fresh era of austerity.
The chancellor is set to unveil a fresh wave of public spending cuts when she delivers her Spring statement in the Commons on Wednesday.
Labour has already announced it will slash the welfare budget by £5 billion, and wants to cut the cost of the civil service by 15%.
On Radio Four’s Today programme this morning, transport secretary Heidi Alexander was challenged by presenter Justin Webb.
He told her: “Your education secretary has offered to axe funding for free period products in schools, dance music, PE schemes etc. What is being contemplated by the chancellor this week is austerity, isn’t it?”
Alexander said: “I’m sorry, I just don’t accept that characterisation. We increased public spending at the Budget last year by £219 billion.”
Webb hit back: “But you’re about to make poor people poorer.”
Alexander admitted the government “needed to take some really difficult decisions”, and insisted the welfare system would always provide support for the most vulnerable.
She added: “The Office for Budget Responsibility last year at the time of the Budget said it was one of the most expansionist Budgets ever, so we are not running to austerity.”