Reeves warns Brexit and past spending cuts hit UK economy harder than thought

British finance minister Rachel Reeves said Brexit along with spending cuts by previous governments had weighed more heavily on the economy than originally thought as she readies a budget likely to include tax increases but also measures to boost growth.

In comments reported by the Guardian newspaper, Reeves said she was aiming to defy an expected downgrade in the economic growth forecasts from Britain’s independent fiscal watchdog, the Office for