The media attacks on Rachel Reeves have gone beyond parody, with the press now attacking her over… her school chess playing credentials.
Since becoming chancellor last summer, Reeves has come under fire over the accuracy of some of her personal and professional credentials.
Following her budget last week, the media scrutiny on Reeves has reached fever-pitch, with allegations that she misled the country over the state of the UK’s finances.
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Whilst elements of the attention on Reeves are justified, the level of mud-slinging from parts of the press has been ridiculous.
Now, things have gone beyond parody as Reeves is being attacked for her claim to have been a junior chess champion.
In an interview in 2023, Reeves said she was the British u-14 girls champion. But now, a former junior champion has accused her of misrepresenting her credentials.
Alex Edelmans, a professor of finance at the London Business School, had actually only been crowned winner of the under-14 title for the British Women’s Chess Association (BWCA) Girls Championship.
Records show the girls champion of the 1993 British Championship was Emily Howard.
Speaking to LBC, Prof Edelman said: “Rachel’s claim was ‘I was the British Girls’ under-14 champion.’
“Emily Howard won that championship so she’s not the British Girls’ champion.
“She did share the title of a quite different championship, the British Women’s Chess Association Championship. “That does not confer the title of British champion.”
The lunacy of the story was best summed up on X by Byline Times editor Adam Bienkov, who said the media treatment of Reeves is “getting ridiculous.”
Someone else said: “The nonsense flying about is verging on mass hysteria.”
Others said the stories were “scraping the barrel.”
Meanwhile, notice how the heat seems to have moved away from a certain UK party leader who is accused of making racist and anti-semitic comments during his time at school…