Britain’s Treasury chief tries to turn on the economic optimism after months of gloomy talk

Associated Press

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — British Treasury chief Rachel Reeves is pledging not to return to an era of public spending cuts despite the dire state of the U.K.’s national finances. Reeves plans to stress optimism in a speech to the Labour Party’s annual conference on Monday. She’s aiming to reassure party members that her first budget next month won’t be all doom and gloom. The party says Reeves will stress that “my optimism for Britain burns as bright as it ever has done.” The center-left party is gathering in Liverpool three months after returning to power in Britain’s July 4 election. Despite the victory, many delegates are anxious about the government’s faltering start and downbeat economic messaging.