As UK economics editor, my life for the last week has felt a lot like surrealist movie Being John Malkovich — but with Rachel Reeves in the central role.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said on Wednesday that "economic growth is the number one mission of this government" as she unveiled a series of proposals to boost the UK's economy. But how quickly could the government get growth from the plans she announced?

Soon after her UK budget on Oct. 30, as economic sentiment plummeted and businesses protested higher taxes, an under-pressure Rachel Reeves had one key message for Treasury officials: “We need to go further and faster on growth.