RACHEL Reeves is “going nowhere” as Chancellor after she was seen crying in the Commons as Keir Starmer refused to rule out sacking her, Downing Street has said.
The Prime Minister failed to guarantee the Chancellor would keep her job and tears could be seen running down her face as Starmer was speaking.
Her sister Ellie Reeves, also an MP, was seen holding her hand as she left the chamber on Wednesday.
No 10 has been forced to confirm the Chancellor still enjoys the Prime Minister’s backing, despite chaotic scenes in Parliament the previous day – as the Government tore up its flagship welfare policy mid-debate.
Reeves (above) is the focus of much anger from backbench Labour MPs who believe her self-imposed fiscal rules have hamstrung Government policy-making.
Asked why Starmer did not confirm that he had faith in Reeves, the Prime Minister’s press secretary said: “He has done so repeatedly.
“The Chancellor is going nowhere. She has the Prime Minister’s full backing.
“He has said it plenty of times, he doesn’t need to repeat it every time the Leader of the Opposition speculates about Labour politicians.”
She added: “The Chancellor and the Prime Minister are focused entirely on delivering for working people.
“It’s thanks to the Chancellor’s management of the economy that we managed to restore stability, which has led to four interest rate cuts, wages rising faster than inflation and she recently delivered a spending review that invested in Britain’s national renewal.”
Asked whether the Prime Minister still had confidence in Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall (above), the press secretary said: “Yes.”
A Treasury spokesperson 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.”
