Rachel Reeves’ sister, Ellie appeared to walk her sibling out of the House of Commons chamber by the hand after Prime Minister’s Questions today. The Chancellor was seen crying at multiple stages during PMQs and the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer refused to confirm that she would survive in her post.
Sir Keir arrived in the House of Commons with MPs on the Opposition benches baying for blood, after his Government was forced to axe the central pillar of his welfare reforms at the last minute yesterday evening. Labour rebels forced the Government to do away with their reforms to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) two hours before MPs were due to vote on the measures. The result of the U-turn is likely to force the Chancellor to hike taxes at the next budget, despite previously vowing not to.
The Chancellor’s team insists she became emotional because of a “personal matter”, however others have pointed to an interaction she may have had with Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle as the reason behind her tears.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch accused the PM of using Ms Reeves as a “human shield” for his “incompetence”.
She went on: “[Ms Reeves] is pointing at me, she looks absolutely miserable. Labour MPs are going on the record saying that the Chancellor is toast, and the reality is that she is a human shield for his incompetence. In January, he said that she would be in post until the next election. Will she really?”
Sir Keir replied: “[Mrs Badenoch] certainly won’t. I have to say, I’m always cheered up when she asks me questions or responds to a statement because she always makes a complete mess of it and shows just how unserious and irrelevant they are.
“She talks about the black hole, they left a £22 billion black hole in our economy and we’re clearing it up, and I’m really proud that in the first year of a Labour Government, we got free school meals, breakfast clubs, childcare, got £15 billion invested in transport in the North and the Midlands. We’re cutting regulation, planning and infrastructure is pounding forward, building 1.5 million homes, the biggest investment in social and affordable housing, and of course the three trade deals.”
Mrs Badenoch replied: “How awful for the Chancellor that he couldn’t confirm that she would stay in place.”