Chancellor Rachel Reeves issues statement after she's seen in tears during Prime Minister's Questions
Rachel Reeves was seen to wipe away tears as she sat next to Keir Starmer in Prime Minister's questions
Rachel Reeves appearing to cry in the House of Commons
(Image: PA )
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has issued a statement after she was seen appearing to be deeply emotional while sat next to Keir Starmer during Prime Minister's Questions.
The Prime Minister did not explicitly give Reeves his backing when asked by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch during PMQs whether she would keep her job. However his press secretary later released a statement saying the West Leeds MP was "going nowhere" and had the "full backing" of the PM.
Ms Reeves was seen to wipe away tears from her face as she sat next to Mr Starmer on the front bench.
Her spokesman later issued a statement to say that her emotion had nothing to do with the government's capitulation on plans to cut spending on welfare through PIP payments in the face of a rebellion by Labour MPs.
The statement said: ""It's a personal matter, which - as you would expect - we are not going to get into.
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"The chancellor will be working out of Downing Street this afternoon."
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves (right) crying as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks during Prime Minister's Questions
(Image: PA )
Lobby journalists said that a spokesman for Mr Starmer had refused to say anything about the Chancellor during a post-PMQs briefing.
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During PMQs, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch had attacked Mr Starmer and Ms Reeves saying: 'She looks absolutely miserable! She looks absolutely miserable. Labour MPs are going on the record to say that the Chancellor is toast, and the reality is she is a human shield for his incompetence.'
"In January he said she would be in post until the next election, will she really?'
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