The House of Commons was plunged into a state of high tension on Wednesday, 26 November 2025, following the Chancellor's Budget announcement, as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch unleashed a series of fierce personal and political attacks on Rachel Reeves.
A Torrent of Personal Criticism
The mood shifted dramatically from rowdy to intensely charged as Badenoch took aim at the Chancellor's competence. She branded Reeves's fiscal announcements as a 'Budget for Benefits Street' and declared the Chancellor's position 'untenable'. In a deeply personal broadside, Badenoch stated, 'I hope she enjoyed it, because it really should be her last.' She went further, adding, 'If she has any decency, she will resign.'
Badenoch dismissed the Chancellor's speech as 'an exercise in self-delusion' and described Reeves as 'a woman wallowing in self-pity, whining'. She directly addressed claims of sexism, stating, 'Let me explain to the Chancellor, woman to woman, people out there aren't complaining because she's female. They're complaining because she's utterly incompetent.' Proposing a drastic cost-saving measure, Badenoch said, 'I've identified a way to save taxpayers huge amounts of money by sacking just one person. The woman sitting opposite.'
Factual Disputes and Political Fire
The Conservative leader also refuted the Chancellor's economic claims, directly challenging the assertion that inflation was falling due to Labour's tax policies. 'Inflation is up, not down,' Badenoch countered. 'And that inflation was stoked by her tax and spend decisions.'
The political assault came after a difficult lead-up to the Budget, which saw the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) leak almost every measure more than half an hour before Reeves began her speech. When the Chancellor did stand up, she announced £26bn in tax rises, following a record £40bn of hikes the previous year.
'Mansplaining' Jab and Final Condemnation
At one pointed moment, Badenoch turned to Reeves, who appeared to be speaking to the Prime Minister, and mockingly asked, 'Is he mansplaining to you?' This was a clear reference to a recent Times profile in which Reeves had expressed being 'sick of people mansplaining how to be chancellor' to her.
Badenoch concluded her verbal assault with a damning final verdict on the Chancellor. 'She is out of money. Out of ideas. Out of her depth. And she has run out of road,' she declared. 'The country simply cannot afford a chancellor who can't keep her own promises. Her position is untenable, and she knows it.'
