The Rachel Reeves Weekender: Civil Service Cuts Confirmed
Newscast
BBC
4.3 • 6.6K Ratings
🗓️ 23 March 2025
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What could the Spring Statement mean for the UK?
Today, Laura, Paddy and Henry discuss Laura’s interview with chancellor Rachel Reeves about proposed cuts to the civil service and welfare system.
You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.
You can join our Newscast online community here: https://discord.gg/m3YPUGv9
New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bit.ly/3ENLcS1
Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O’Connell. It was made by Adam Chowdhury. Digital production by Sophie Millward. The technical producer was Rohan Madison. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:04.6 | Why are you holding a cardboard cutout? |
| 0:06.7 | Because I've got a cardboard cutout of Rachel Reeves |
| 0:08.4 | that the production team has kindly brought |
| 0:09.9 | because it's the only program of the week |
| 0:12.4 | where she's not here in real life, it feels like. |
| 0:15.6 | So she's there? |
| 0:16.6 | Well, it's a Rachel Reeves big weekender, right? |
| 0:18.5 | Which yesterday we talked a lot by Rachel Reeves. |
| 0:20.6 | We talked a lot about the documentary that we've done with Rachel Reeves |
| 0:23.1 | and also Rachel Reeves is with us this morning. |
| 0:25.3 | And that's not just because we're obsessed with Rachel Reeves |
| 0:27.2 | and somebody bought us a nice carbar cutout. |
| 0:29.0 | It's because it is actually a huge moment for Rachel Reeves. |
| 0:31.4 | So there is editorial merit in what seems like a frivolous piece of madness. Yes, and also it links to the fact that you made a radio documentary with her, |
| 0:39.8 | so she was living your life next to you like a cardboard cutout. |
| 0:43.8 | No offences intended to cardboard or humans. |
| 0:46.9 | Or me or Richard. |
| 0:48.8 | And I've had, well, we've had an email saying it's right to talk about the classics as we did yesterday. |
| 0:54.9 | Oh, goodness. |
| 0:55.6 | Bringing to mind the film, Jason and the Argonauts, Poseidon rose from the crashing waves to hold the clashing rocks apart. |
| 1:01.9 | Is Rachel Reeves our Poseidon? |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.