Starmer backs Chancellor Rachel Reeves after tears in parliament

Tears rolled down Rachel Reeves’s face as Keir Starmer declined to guarantee that she would remain in place until the next general election, likely in 2029.

Rachel Reeves was seen in tears sitting besides Sir Keir Starmer during the Prime Minister's Questions session in the House of Commons.

Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has the “full backing” of the Prime Minister after she was filmed crying in parliament and rumours swirled around her future.

Tears rolled down Ms Reeves’s face during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday as Keir Starmer declined to guarantee she would remain in place until the next general election, likely in 2029.

It came after Sir Keir’s Labour government U-turned on key welfare reforms, wiping out a multibillion-pound boost to public finances and triggering speculation that Ms Reeves could lose her job.

The pound slumped more than 1 per cent against the US dollar on Wednesday and London’s stockmarket retreated amid the speculation.

A spokeswoman for Sir Keir later told reporters that Ms Reeves had his “full backing”, while a spokesman for the Chancellor said she had been upset due to a “personal matter”.

“The Chancellor is going nowhere. She has the Prime Minister’s full backing,” Sophie Nazemi, Sir Keir’s press secretary, said.

Asked why he had not confirmed faith in Ms Reeves when asked in the House of Commons, she said: “He has done so repeatedly. The Chancellor and the Prime Minister are focused entirely on delivering for working people.”

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last week. Picture: WPA Pool / Getty Images

Asked about Ms Reeves’s tears, her spokesman said: “It’s a personal matter, which, as you would expect, we are not going to get into.”

“The Chancellor will be working out of Downing Street this afternoon,” he said.

Sir Keir backed down on the welfare plans on Tuesday after a rebellion by MPs from his own party, in a major blow to his authority.

It has also left an almost £5bn ($10.4bn) black hole in Ms Reeves’s plans, leading to the possibility that she will have to raise taxes on “working people”, something she has repeatedly ruled out.

Ms Reeves has also ruled out tweaking her self-imposed rule that day-to-day spending should be met through tax receipts rather than borrowing.