Was Rachel Reeves really a chess champion?

Following accusations that Chancellor (for the time being) Rachel Reeves has embellished her CV and presented some imaginative expensive claims whilst working at the Bank of England and Halifax Bank of Scotland respectively, attention has now turned to Reeves’s sporting prowess.

Rachel Reeves has frequently claimed to be a championship chess player. She once challenged UKIP sponsor and spread betting king Stuart Wheeler to a game of chess.

A number of sources are now claiming that Reeves doesn’t know a bishop from knight and that her real ability lay in the sport of tiddlywinks.

Tom Thomas who worked with Reeves at the Bank of England in the early noughties commented

“Rachel. Certainly very good at tiddlywinks but I’m certain she never progressed beyond the second round of the annual staff chess knockout tournament. And thinking back I’m sure she had a bye in round one in what looked like a very suspect draw.”

Colleagues from Reeves time at HBOS also suggested that her proficiency lay in spinning plastic counters rather than strategising four moves ahead. One co worker who wished to remain anonymous said

“Never saw her at the lunchtime chess club. I think she was usually shopping for handbags then. Did see her play rummy very badly at a staff Christmas party. But tiddlywinks- real ability- and a willingness to show off her skills to all and sundry, those pesky customer complaints she was supposed to be managing could always wait.”

If by some miracle Reeves manages to survive the expense and CV allegations it is expected that the chess claims will give Sir Keir Starmer the perfect cover to sack her.