\n
There has been considerable Cabinet disquiet about the spending cuts required to meet the Treasury\u2019s proposed spending limit.<\/p>\n
Bloomberg reported that ministers had expressed concern that the proposed cuts could be as high as 20% next year.<\/p>\n
They reportedly include Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner who runs the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, as well as Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Transport Secretary Louise Haigh. <\/b>None of the ministers denied the report.<\/p>\n
Haigh refused to comment on the reports, but told the BBC: “Budget negotiations and discussions are taking places across government in absolutely the usual way.”<\/p>\n
She added that she was “looking forward to the chancellor’s announcement” on 30 October.<\/p>\n
Responding to the speculation, the prime minister\u2019s official spokesperson said public services needed \u201creform\u201d and government departments will have to \u201cbecome more productive\u201d.<\/p>\n
Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have agreed on the spending totals to be unveiled in the budget on 30 October, the spokesman said.<\/p>\n
But negotiations are ongoing with individual departments about their specific allocations, the spokesman added.<\/p>\n
Danny Shaw, a commentator on justice and policing affairs, who has previously advised the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, said cuts of that order would be “devastating” for the justice department.<\/p>\n
“It would completely destroy in many ways the criminal justice system in terms of the courts, probation, prisons and legal aid,” he said.<\/p>\n
There is already a backlog of around 68,000 cases in the crown courts, he added.<\/p>\n
A Labour source told the BBC that there was \u201csignificant angst\u201d across government at a failure from the Treasury to \u201crecognise the trade-offs\u201d of cutting spending.<\/p>\n
A former senior aide to Conservative chancellors during multiple Budgets said that they had never experienced a cabinet minister \u201cgoing over our head\u201d to the prime minister.<\/p>\n
However, a Downing Street source said exchanges like this were were a \u201ccompletely normal part of the process\u201d, and denied that it is unusual for cabinet ministers to address their concerns to the prime minister rather than the chancellor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Prime](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/240\/cpsprodpb\/657b\/live\/31cf4890-8c5d-11ef-9f4a-8bfe5180b338.jpg.webp)
<\/picture><\/span>PA Media<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n