Rachel Reeves defends freebies: ‘I’m not personally a huge Sabrina Carpenter fan, being a 46-year-old woman’

Rachel Reeves said she recognised her acceptance of free tickets to see Sabrina Carpenter in concert was “a bit odd”.

The Chancellor has faced criticism over her decision to take free tickets to the show before announcing cuts to welfare during Wednesday’s spring statement.

Ms Reeves told reporters at a press conference today (26 March) that she is “not personally a huge Sabrina Carpenter fan, being a 46-year-old woman”, but that a member of her family “did want to go and see that concert”.

The chancellor said she is “not in a position” to “easily just go and sit in a concert”.