Rachel Reeves shows she means business by ditching skirts for smart suits - as Labour shadow chancellor prepares for move into No11 Downing Street

As Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves has worked flat out to portray Labour as the new home for British business.

And now the senior Labour figure has started dressing the part too - ditching skirts for smart suits as she prepares to move into No11 Downing Street.

Mrs Reeves, who says she will impose robust fiscal discipline if she takes the reins of the British economy on Friday, has been seen sharpening up ahead of election day.

The Shadow Chancellor has gone against traditional Labour instinct to try and woo business - holding breakfast meetings to try and convince firms that her party would benefit them in government.

It has meant smartening Labour’s image up - both in policy and style - from the days of John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn, who put on a more revolutionary front.

On the campaign trail, Mrs Reeves has worn power suits of all shades as she goes round the UK claiming the country will be a ‘safe haven’ for companies on her watch.

Since taking the mantle in 2021, she has preached stability and calm, ruling out ‘tax and spend’ policies and instead advocating for fiscal discipline.

Businesses will hope her conservative outfit choice will have a similar effect on the British economy after a tumultuous few years thanks to the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Liz Truss’s budget.