Rachel Reeves can save billions with weight-loss jabs

While the Reform leader, with his customary bombast enjoyed the attention, he shouldn't get too cocksure. Financial experts lined up to condemn Nigel Farage's economic policies as a mess. The Prime Minister smells blood. Voters now know the Farage programme means an explosion in government borrowing with soaring mortgage rates or deep cuts in vital public services like the NHS.

It's a barmpot Liz Truss style experiment on steroids. We've seen this 'Nightmare on Downing Street' movie before and working people can't afford the sequel. But Labour needs to do more than simply complain about the opposition. The British public want this government to get on with what they promised to deliver.

Labour's top team must be laser focused on turning around the economy, fixing the NHS and guaranteeing a fair immigration system with secure borders. That's the message we hear loud and clear in our polling at think tank Labour Together. When asked in our survey what the biggest day to day issue facing you and your family were, 56 per cent of respondents placed the cost of living as the number one issue. The next top issues are access to healthcare and immigration.

That's why Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Spending Review in the coming days will be one of the most important events of this Parliament. Both for the economy and Labour's electoral prospects. Expanding the economy and creating more good well paid jobs is the surest way to raise living standards. I call it the Rebuilding Britain mission.

We need to be a country that actually builds again, opening up the dream of homeownership to young people, helping more families buy or ensure fair rents for tenants. To revitalise communities we need heavy duty investment in rail, roads and energy infrastructure especially across the north and midlands who too often were forgotten in recent years.

With funding and political will Britain must become a world leader in the application of new ideas in AI, science and technology, creating jobs and improving lives. AI and medical advances will transform the way in which researchers discover new transformative life saving medicines. Ministers must continue to drive down waiting lists in the NHS. But rather than just curing sickness we need a new focus on making our society healthier. It's better for people, better for the NHS and better for the economy too. Widening access to weight loss jabs would benefit the economy by billions for example.

And the government must take measures to confront the scar that is child poverty. Investing in children now is the most effective down payment on our country's future. It's in Keir Starmer's and Rachel Reeves' hands to make our country prouder, stronger and better. If they seize the opportunity they will leave Nigel Farage behind crying into his pint.

- Jonathan Ashworth was a senior aide to Gordon Brown and is a former Shadow Health Secretary