No considerations raised with me about my bills

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has mentioned no considerations had been raised together with her about her bills throughout her time operating at Halifax Financial institution of Scotland.

A BBC Information investigation discovered that whilst at HBOS, Reeves used to be topic to an in depth whistleblowing grievance which raised considerations about her use of corporate cash.

Reeves mentioned she “submitted and had her bills signed off in the correct approach”.

Alternatively, the BBC has noticed paperwork which display considerations about spending behavior within the division Reeves labored in had been raised together with her.

A spokesman for the chancellor prior to now mentioned she had no wisdom of the investigation, all the time complied with bills laws and left the financial institution on excellent phrases.

Requested what her figuring out of the investigation used to be, Reeves informed the BBC: “No person ever raised any considerations about my bills after I labored for Halifax Financial institution of Scotland.

“I submitted and had my bills signed off in the correct approach, as you could be expecting.”

Pressed over why a few of her former colleagues had been acutely aware of an investigation, the chancellor mentioned: “I have no idea what they’re announcing and naturally none of them have long past at the file.

“However I used to be by no means wondered, by no means requested to pay again any bills.”

Reeves mentioned she used to be “in reality pleased with the paintings that I did ahead of I changed into an MP” however added: “Finally, persons are going to pass judgement on me at the process that I am doing now as chancellor of the exchequer to develop the financial system and put extra money within the wallet of operating folks.”

A Fb staff for former HBOS workers incorporated a number of joking about Reeves’s bills spending and the reality she used to be investigated.

Within the past due 2000s ahead of getting into politics, Reeves labored at HBOS as a senior supervisor.

The BBC has learnt that throughout her time on the financial institution considerations had been raised about Reeves, and two different managers, the usage of the financial institution’s cash to “fund an approach to life”.

The worries raised about Reeves’s spending incorporated a £400 leaving meal for a colleague, a £49 purse for her PA and £152 spent on any other bag, at the side of some fragrance as a gift for her boss in a joint present with any other supervisor.

One of the vital different workers investigated used to be Reeves’s supervisor and the one who signed off her bills.

The financial institution’s inside audit division performed the preliminary investigation and located there used to be proof bills laws gave the impression to had been damaged, a senior supply mentioned.

The BBC has now not been ready to determine what the general result of the investigation used to be, or whether or not it reached a conclusion.

In past due 2008, a memo used to be circulated to Reeves and others calling for tighter value controls.

It particularly raised considerations about “spending on go back and forth” and on company spending playing cards, together with Motivation playing cards which have been used to praise team of workers.

The proposals it laid out for bettering value controls incorporated per 30 days discussions with Reeves and any other supervisor to have a look at “claims, invoices, Thank you card use and studies”. That different supervisor used to be additionally a type of due to this fact investigated over their use of bills.

One at a time, Reeves used to be emailed in mid-December 2008 via an HBOS worker who urged they will have to give a presentation to boost consciousness of the way a lot used to be being spent on taxis and on Motivation playing cards.

Reeves spoke back to mention that she used to be now not certain a “large research” used to be wanted and she or he sought after to peer the papers ahead of they went to any extent further.

The BBC investigation has additionally raised questions concerning the accuracy of Reeves’s on-line CV on LinkedIn.

After she used to be accused of embellishing it final 12 months, her profile used to be then modified to explain her function at HBOS to “retail banking”, quite than “economist” because it had mentioned prior to now.

The BBC has now established that she exaggerated her time on the Financial institution of England and left 9 months previous than she had claimed on LinkedIn.

Reeves used to be on the Financial institution of England for 5 and a part years, however just about a 12 months of that used to be spent learning for a Masters on the London College of Economics.

As just lately as final 12 months, she mentioned she had spent “the most productive a part of a decade as an economist on the Financial institution of England”.

A spokeswoman for Reeves mentioned the dates on her CV had been misguided because of an administrative error via a member of the staff and that Reeves had now not noticed it ahead of it have been printed.

Talking on Friday, Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch mentioned Reeves had “some very, very critical questions to reply to”.

“Keir Starmer mentioned he used to be bringing in a central authority of integrity.

“Telling lies and untruths in your CV, bills fraud which is what the allegations are, are very critical issues. And I do suppose [Reeves] wishes to come back out and give an explanation for what’s going on.”

The BBC investigation pertains to attainable breaches of HBOS bills laws, now not fraud.

On Thursday, Top Minister Sir Keir Starmer subsidized his chancellor, announcing she had “handled any problems that rise up” from “a few years in the past”.

She has additionally been defended via Science Secretary Peter Kyle, who insisted she will be able to “completely” be relied on.

He claimed the BBC’s reporting have been “misguided”, including: “The top of HR at that financial institution at the moment says it is unfaithful, mentioned that she by no means, ever gained a record on Rachel Reeves.

“And he or she says that ahead of she left the financial institution, there used to be no investigation that handed her table. And he or she’s additionally mentioned if there used to be one, it might have handed her table.”

Alternatively, the BBC’s reporting did come with quotes from Jane Wayper, who used to be an HR trade spouse, now not head of HR as Kyle described her.

Wayper had informed the BBC she “would had been made acutely aware of any investigation which concluded there used to be a case to reply to”.

The BBC has now not reported that the investigation reached a conclusion, or that there used to be a disciplinary procedure.