Reeves later insisted that she had been dealing with a “personal issue” as rumour swirled of a row with colleagues or even her boss.
The incident happened the day after the government was forced into a humiliating climbdown on their welfare bill which they hoped would save the Treasury £5 billion but ultimately saved little to no money in benefit payments.
Smith added: “For Rachel to be taking all the responsibility just doesn’t seem right.
“I don’t agree with Rachel’s politics, but I don’t think she deserves all the blame. Keir Starmer needs to take some responsibility, as do Angela Rayner, Ed Miliband and the rest – they are all begging for money from her for their departments.”
Smith went on to blast his niece’s targeting of pensioners who he believes should be left alone.
He continued: “I’m a pensioner, I have paid my dues all my life. I think pensioners have been wrongly treated and should not be involved in this issue and should be left alone.
“I never thought the winter fuel payments should be going to rich people – but now it seems like they’re going to everyone again. They should be means tested.
“The benefits policy, obviously we need to get the costs lower, but I don’t understand where this new black hole has come from.
“When she started Rachel said there was a black hole, she filled that, and now there’s another one.
“They seem to have spent all the money on the NHS and now there’s nothing left for anything else – that and the people coming across on small boats.
“They should just stop spending money on the migrants and focus on fixing the country instead.”
