UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Rachel Reeves wiped away tears as Kemi Badenoch condemned Labour’s welfare U-turn, highlighting the tough challenges Reeves faces before the autumn budget.
As reported by The Guardian, during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves broke down in tears amid Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s attack on the government’s welfare U-turn.
The chancellor wiped away a tear following Ms Badenoch’s remarks that Labour MPs called her “toast” and accused the prime minister of not confirming her position until the election.
After the Commons session, Downing Street confirmed Ms Reeves had the prime minister’s full support and was “going nowhere.”
What did the chancellor’s spokesperson say about her tears?
The chancellor’s spokesperson said after PMQs that Ms Reeves was dealing with a personal matter and declined to share details.
They added,
“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.”
What did Kemi Badenoch say about Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer’s welfare U-turn?
Kemi Badenoch accused Ms Reeves of serving as a “human shield” for the prime minister’s mishandling of the welfare bill crisis.
She pressed Mr Starmer to reiterate Number 10’s pledge to keep Reeves in post.
Pointing to Ms Reeves, Ms Badenoch said,
“She looks absolutely miserable. Labour MPs say the Chancellor is toast – a human shield for Starmer’s incompetence. In January, he said she’d remain in post until the next election. Will she really?”
Referring to Tory leader, Sir Keir said,
“She certainly won’t. I have to say I am 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 pointed out that Sir Keir failed to guarantee Ms Reeves would remain in her position as chancellor, adding,
“How awful for the Chancellor that he couldn’t confirm that she will stay in place.”
What did Downing Street say about Keir Starmer’s Confidence on the welfare U-turn?
Downing Street said the Prime Minister remained fully confident in his judgment amid backlash over the welfare bill concessions.
The Prime Minister’s press secretary stated,
“Yes. This is a Prime Minister who, in the opposition, picked the Labour Party off the floor, turned it around and secured the mandate that we received last year.”
She added,
“This is a Prime Minister who… is taking a phased approach to Government. The first phase is fixing the foundations, including the £22 billion black hole the Tories left, investing record amounts in the NHS and delivering double the amount of appointments that we committed to in the election, frozen fuel duty… and now we’re delivering fairness and security through our plan for change.”
What did Pat McFadden say about budget trade-offs?
Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said on Wednesday morning that difficult decisions now lie ahead.
He added,
“In any budgetary decision, there’s definitely a cost to what was announced yesterday, and you can’t spend the same money twice, so more money spent on that means less for some other purpose.”
What did Treasury allies say about the cost of a U-turn?
One Treasury ally said,
“We’re not going to bluff this, we’re not going to hide it. We’re going to be clear that there is a financial cost to this. Labour MPs need to understand that. Of course, tax is one of the levers we could have to pull. We’re not going to duck that.
They added,
“Those Labour MPs and charities and others who want the two-child limit lifted, how are you going to pay for it now? Labour MPs made a choice last night, and the government accepted that choice, but we are going to be honest that that choice comes at a cost, because it does.”
What did Neil Mehta say about Labour’s fiscal control?
Neil Mehta, of RBC BlueBay Asset Management, said,
“Last night’s parliamentary chaos underscores the Government’s waning control over public spending.”
He added,
“The Chancellor’s October Budget has already increased 2025/26 public spending by nearly £100bn compared to the previous government’s plans, leading to higher borrowing and worsening inflation. A fiscal crisis now appears to be on the horizon unless tough decisions (such as tax rises) are enacted.”