Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, acknowledged that she had ‘a tough day’ and was ‘clearly upset’ following her emotional moment in the House of Commons during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday. In her first interview since the incident, she refrained from disclosing specific details, explaining only that she was dealing with ‘a personal issue.’ ‘Today’s a new day and I’m just cracking on with the job,’ she stated.
Her comments came shortly after she joined Sir Keir Starmer to unveil the government’s ambitious 10-year plan for the NHS. Initially, government borrowing costs surged following Reeves’ emotional display at PMQs, particularly when Sir Keir did not provide a definitive assurance of her position. However, those costs partially receded after he emphasized his support for her, asserting that she would be in her role ‘for a very long time to come.’
In an effort to present a united front, Reeves surprised attendees by accompanying Sir Keir and Health Secretary Wes Streeting at a hospital in East London, where they detailed plans for new neighborhood health centers. During her address to the staff, Reeves appeared cheerful and shared a warm embrace with the Prime Minister.
After the event, she remarked, ‘My job as chancellor at 12 o’clock on a Wednesday is to be at PMQs next to the prime minister, supporting the government, and that’s what I tried to do.’ Addressing her emotional moment, she said, ‘I think all your viewers have had tough days, for personal reasons, for whatever reasons. I happened to be on the camera when I had a tough day.’ Insisting she was ‘totally’ committed to her role, she responded to questions regarding Sir Keir’s support in Parliament by affirming, ‘People can see that Keir and me are a team.’
Sir Keir praised Reeves, asserting, ‘I think it’s just fantastic that she is here.’ He highlighted that her decisions had enabled the government to ‘invest record amounts in the NHS.’ When asked if he noticed her distress during PMQs, he admitted that he was unaware of what was happening because he was focused on answering questions. ‘No prime minister ever has side conversations in PMQs,’ he emphasized, indicating that the intense pace of the session left little room for personal exchanges. He later described Reeves’ emotional moment as stemming from ‘a personal issue’ and refrained from further elaboration.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Starmer spoke about the importance of resilience in politics, acknowledging that ‘all people can be caught off guard.’ He highlighted that he had a lengthy discussion with Reeves after the incident, noting her strength and resilience.
Concerns regarding Reeves’ future have intensified after Labour rebels pressured the government to abandon certain welfare reforms, resulting in a £5 billion shortfall in the Chancellor’s financial plan. To adhere to her borrowing targets, she might need to contemplate cuts to public spending or tax increases in the upcoming autumn Budget. In response to speculation about tax rises, Sir Keir stated, ‘No prime minister or chancellor is going to write a Budget in advance.’ Meanwhile, shadow chancellor Mel Stride expressed sympathy for Reeves, underlining the human aspect of political life but criticized the government for its ‘serious mistakes’ and ‘bungling and chaos’ that he anticipated would necessitate tax increases this autumn.
