--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As chancellor of the exchequer I will…" description: "\"As chancellor of the exchequer I will never spend what we cannot afford.\" — Rachel Reeves" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/rachel-reeves-6098_afford_as-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-i-will-ne_2898318.jpg" --- # As chancellor of the exchequer I will never spend what we… ![“As chancellor of the exchequer I will never spend what we cannot afford.” quote by Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/rachel-reeves-6098_afford_as-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-i-will-ne_2898318.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/rachel-reeves-6098_afford_as-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-i-will-ne_2898318.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/rachel-reeves-6098_afford_as-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-i-will-ne_2898318.jpg) > “As chancellor of the exchequer I will never spend what we cannot afford.” [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She pledges fiscal responsibility, refusing to spend beyond means. **In simple terms:** Avoid overspending. Key Takeaway Spend within means. Themes budgeting responsibility economics Mood cautious pragmatic Type advice political When to use this quote - government budgeting - personal finance - tax planning - public sector spending Key Concepts fiscal policy public finance Questions to Reflect On - How do you prioritize essential vs. non‑essential spending? - What safeguards can prevent overspending? A Different Perspective Political pressure may demand higher spending. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afford/) [Cannot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cannot/) [Chancellor Exchequer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chancellor-exchequer-1288075/) [Exchequer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exchequer-2086371/) [Exchequer Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exchequer-spend-4107723/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend/) [Spend Afford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend-afford-4107724/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) ## Related quotes > [ On Sept 15th \[1852\] Mr Goulburn, Chancellor of the Exchequer, asked my opinion on the utility of Mr Babbage's calculating machine, and the propriety… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-biddell-airy/on-sept-15th-1852-mr-goulburn-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-asked-my/) [George Biddell Airy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-biddell-airy/) > [From the time I took office as Chancellor of the Exchequer, I began to learn that the State held, in the face of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-gladstone/from-the-time-i-took-office-as-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-i-began-to/) [William E. Gladstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-gladstone/) > [As Labour's shadow chancellor of the exchequer, I know I stand on the shoulders of giants from our party's past: the Labour women who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/as-labour-s-shadow-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-i-know-i-stand-on-the/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [The genius of any single man can no more equal learning, than a private purse hold way with the exchequer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-genius-of-any-single-man-can-no-more-equal-learning-than-a/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Evermore thanks, the exchequer of the poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/evermore-thanks-the-exchequer-of-the-poor/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Mitt Romney looks like a secretary of state. He looks like the chancellor of the exchequer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/mitt-romney-looks-like-a-secretary-of-state-he-looks-like-the/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [The Chancellor of the Exchequer has delivered his Budget. It is his first Budget, but we have seen it all before. This is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-harman/the-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-has-delivered-his-budget-it-is-his/) [Harriet Harman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-harman/) > [Can there be a more lamentable picture than that of a Chancellor of the Exchequer seated on an empty chest by a pool of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-peel/can-there-be-a-more-lamentable-picture-than-that-of-a-chancellor-of/) [Robert Peel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-peel/) > [The most common reason new mothers return to work sooner than they'd like to is because they can't afford to go without their salaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-von-tobel/the-most-common-reason-new-mothers-return-to-work-sooner-than-they-d/) [Alexa Von Tobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-von-tobel/) > [I have crooked toes from wearing boots that didn't fit me because that's all I could afford as a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lomu/i-have-crooked-toes-from-wearing-boots-that-didn-t-fit-me-because/) [Jonah Lomu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lomu/) > [I was lucky because I got so successful so early, and when you get successful early, then you can afford to be a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-von-furstenberg/i-was-lucky-because-i-got-so-successful-so-early-and-when-you-get/) [Diane von Furstenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-von-furstenberg/) > [Now I'm having to live with sales of around 50,000 per album - but I'm pretty content with my place in the general scheme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-knopfler/now-i-m-having-to-live-with-sales-of-around-50-000-per-album-but-i-m/) [David Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-knopfler/) > [I am not a Ph.D. in economics or a doctorate in literature that I can afford to take my singing lightly. Even if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-kher/i-am-not-a-ph-d-in-economics-or-a-doctorate-in-literature-that-i-can/) [Kailash Kher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-kher/) > [Just because you can afford it doesn't mean you should buy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/just-because-you-can-afford-it-doesn-t-mean-you-should-buy-it/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [We can't afford any president to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/we-can-t-afford-any-president-to-fail/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) ## More by Rachel Reeves > [As a former Bank of England economist, I know how important our institutions are in providing the stability and certainty that strong, secure economies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/as-a-former-bank-of-england-economist-i-know-how-important-our/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [When I worked at the Bank of England, I learnt a very simple lesson: your sums must always add up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/when-i-worked-at-the-bank-of-england-i-learnt-a-very-simple-lesson/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [Growing up, we weren't poor, but we didn't have money to spare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/growing-up-we-weren-t-poor-but-we-didn-t-have-money-to-spare/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [I felt strongly that the government didn't care about schools and communities like mine and I wanted to do something about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/i-felt-strongly-that-the-government-didn-t-care-about-schools-and/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [Too often, women find that the men in their cohort scoop up the big jobs and they end up working for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/too-often-women-find-that-the-men-in-their-cohort-scoop-up-the-big/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [For too long, ministers have been complacent about the vital role that women can play in the economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/for-too-long-ministers-have-been-complacent-about-the-vital-role-that/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [Glamorous and exciting are probably not two things you would want from someone in charge of public finances. You want someone who's steady, who's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/glamorous-and-exciting-are-probably-not-two-things-you-would-want/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [We will not waver in our commitment to making sure that our economy is on stable and secure ground, and that every pound of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/we-will-not-waver-in-our-commitment-to-making-sure-that-our-economy/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [Taxpayers rightly expect the government to treat their money with the same care they would treat their own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/taxpayers-rightly-expect-the-government-to-treat-their-money-with-the/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [From the Equal Pay Act to the Sex Discrimination Act and the Equality Act through to the minimum wage and Sure Start, the Labour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/from-the-equal-pay-act-to-the-sex-discrimination-act-and-the-equality/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [I want to lead the most pro-growth, pro-business Treasury in our history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/i-want-to-lead-the-most-pro-growth-pro-business-treasury-in-our/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [To have a system that's fair and affordable we need to help more people into work, make sure we have decent and secure jobs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/to-have-a-system-that-s-fair-and-affordable-we-need-to-help-more/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [Our local public services, from Bath to Bolton, Darlington to Dagenham, should be run for local communities - the people who use them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/our-local-public-services-from-bath-to-bolton-darlington-to-dagenham/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [Politicians from all parties, businesses, healthcare professionals, individuals and communities urgently need to come together to try to understand the causes of loneliness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/politicians-from-all-parties-businesses-healthcare-professionals/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) > [I will introduce a new set of fiscal rules which will apply to every decision taken by a Labour government. We will not borrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/i-will-introduce-a-new-set-of-fiscal-rules-which-will-apply-to-every/) [Rachel Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) [Explore all 100 Rachel Reeves quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/) ## More Afford quotes > [We can't afford any president to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/we-can-t-afford-any-president-to-fail/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [Just because you can afford it doesn't mean you should buy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/just-because-you-can-afford-it-doesn-t-mean-you-should-buy-it/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [I am not a Ph.D. in economics or a doctorate in literature that I can afford to take my singing lightly. Even if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-kher/i-am-not-a-ph-d-in-economics-or-a-doctorate-in-literature-that-i-can/) [Kailash Kher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-kher/) > [Now I'm having to live with sales of around 50,000 per album - but I'm pretty content with my place in the general scheme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-knopfler/now-i-m-having-to-live-with-sales-of-around-50-000-per-album-but-i-m/) [David Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-knopfler/) > [I was lucky because I got so successful so early, and when you get successful early, then you can afford to be a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-von-furstenberg/i-was-lucky-because-i-got-so-successful-so-early-and-when-you-get/) [Diane von Furstenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-von-furstenberg/) > [I have crooked toes from wearing boots that didn't fit me because that's all I could afford as a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lomu/i-have-crooked-toes-from-wearing-boots-that-didn-t-fit-me-because/) [Jonah Lomu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lomu/) > [The most common reason new mothers return to work sooner than they'd like to is because they can't afford to go without their salaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-von-tobel/the-most-common-reason-new-mothers-return-to-work-sooner-than-they-d/) [Alexa Von Tobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-von-tobel/) > [This fatigue can not afford to do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israa-ali/this-fatigue-can-not-afford-to-do/) [ISRAA ALI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israa-ali/) > [A good player is a good player, it's just that we cannot afford signings that do not work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-dyche/a-good-player-is-a-good-player-it-s-just-that-we-cannot-afford/) [Sean Dyche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-dyche/) > [I'm not the most talented writer in the world. I know that. But I also know that I'm disciplined, that I work my butt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-b-coe/i-m-not-the-most-talented-writer-in-the-world-i-know-that-but-i-also/) [David B. Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-b-coe/) > [Unfortunately, some people go to a restaurant, and they aren't really there to enjoy themselves. They're there because they think they deserve to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dinicol/unfortunately-some-people-go-to-a-restaurant-and-they-aren-t-really/) [Joe Dinicol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dinicol/) > [Nobody has so many friends that he can afford to lose one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/nobody-has-so-many-friends-that-he-can-afford-to-lose-one/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [My earliest memories were when my mom would put me in the plays that she was in because she couldn't afford a babysitter... she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-applegate/my-earliest-memories-were-when-my-mom-would-put-me-in-the-plays-that/) [Christina Applegate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-applegate/) > [In Washington journalists can afford to live almost as well as people who work for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-washington-journalists-can-afford-to-live-almost-as-well-as-people/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I'm a little bit tough because I can't afford to get my heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-glanville/i-m-a-little-bit-tough-because-i-can-t-afford-to-get-my-heart-broken/) [Brandi Glanville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-glanville/) [Browse all 784 Afford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afford/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As chancellor of the exchequer I will never spend what we cannot afford.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rachel Reeves" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/as-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-i-will-never-spend-what-we-cannot/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afford" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/as-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-i-will-never-spend-what-we-cannot/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/rachel-reeves-6098_afford_as-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-i-will-ne_2898318.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/rachel-reeves-6098_afford_as-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-i-will-ne_2898318.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0da/rachel-reeves-6098_afford_as-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-i-will-ne_2898318.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As chancellor of the exchequer I will never spend what we cannot afford.” — Rachel Reeves", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rachel Reeves", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-reeves/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As chancellor of the exchequer I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/as-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-i-will-never-spend-what-we-cannot/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-reeves/as-chancellor-of-the-exchequer-i-will-never-spend-what-we-cannot/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```