In the aftermath of Rachel Reeves’s tearful breakdown in the House of Commons last week, many have discussed about what might have caused her tears. In a recent commentary, the UK’s former Chancellor of the Exchequer under Liz Truss, Kwasi Kwarteng, shared his thoughts on the possible reasons behind the breakdown.
Kwarteng showed a certain level of empathy for Reeves, who said her tears were due to a private matter. Yet, the former Chancellor wrote that he understands her predicament and acknowledged that the atmosphere in the House can be oppressive, especially in the summer, and the chamber of the Commons is “not a comfortable place, even at the best of times.”
But he added that in times of difficuly, senior figures have to hold things together – and that isn’t the case for Reeves as she seemingly grows isolated within her own party, with left-wing backbenchers no longer concealing their frustrations at her policy.
“They want her out,” he wrote in The Sun, pointing to Jeremy Corbyn’s plans to form a new party amid a “thirst for an alternative”.
He continued: “For all these types, Reeves is the scapegoat for everything they think is wrong with Labour in power. For hard-left MPs, Reeves and Keir Starmer stand for nothing.”
Drawing from his own experience, however, Kwarteng asserted that it would be a mistake for Starmer to replace Reeves, as such move would shorten his shelf life.
“His critics within Labour would feel emboldened to come after him,” he wrote.
Besides the antagonism from within, Kwarteng’s main explanation of the Chancellor’s weak position can be summed up in one word: taxes.
“Her plan to cut spending by reforming welfare has been sabotaged. She will have to find more money. This includes £1.5billion to pay for Labour’s winter fuel U-turn. And a £4.5billion gap after Sir Keir Starmer ditched plans to cut disability benefits,” he wrote.
As a result, the former minister pointed to the need of increasing taxes in the near future, which he thinks is leaving Reeves in state of hopelessness.
“Even Reeves knows in her bones that higher taxes will kill our prospects for economic growth, for greater prosperity. It is this frightening scenario, I suspect, which caused the teary outburst from the Chancellor.”