Rachel Reeves hints at what caused her notorious Commons tears and concedes she shouldn’t have attended Parliament during ‘difficult moment’
Rachel Reeves today said of her tearful appearance in Parliament earlier this year: ‘If I had that day again, I wouldn’t go.’
The Chancellor sparked wild speculation about his political future in July when he was seen in tears sitting next to Sir Keir Starmer in the House of Commons.
Ms Reeves later said she was dealing with a ‘personal issue’ when she became clearly emotional during Prime Minister’s Questions.
But it also came shortly after she and Sir Keir were forced to abandon most of their welfare-reducing efforts in the face of a massive revolt from Labor MPs.
His emotional state caused turmoil in financial markets, and scenes of his upset fueled rumors that he might quit his job at the Treasury.
Now, more than four and a half months later, Ms Reeves is preparing to deliver her second Budget as the UK’s first female Chancellor.
In an interview with Times Ahead of her upcoming financial disclosure, Ms Reeves expressed her regret that her ‘difficult moment’ was broadcast on television.
“Most people have had a day at work where they went to the bathroom and cried or told their boss, ‘I’m going to go home early,'” he said.
‘Unfortunately, my hardest moment was live. I always go to PMQs – I thought it was my duty to be there – but if I had that day again I wouldn’t go into the room.’
Rachel Reeves today said of her tearful appearance in Parliament earlier this year: ‘If I had that day again, I wouldn’t go.’
The Chancellor sparked wild speculation about his political future in July when he was seen in tears sitting next to Sir Keir Starmer in the House of Commons.
Ms Reeves later said she was dealing with a ‘personal issue’ when she became emotional during Prime Minister’s Questions
Commenting on the reasons for her upset in July, Ms Reeves added: ‘If you hadn’t recorded it, I would have told you what was going on, but I’m not telling the world that.’
‘People don’t want to read my recipe for Yorkshire pudding or what actually made me cry,’ the Chancellor added.
“Well, they might,” he said. ‘But what they really want to know is whether they can trust me with their money to manage the economy.
‘I’m not a public personality. I’m not in show business. I am the Chancellor. If you want people to enter politics, you must remember that they are human.
‘I am a mother of two children. I am a wife and a daughter. ‘I wasn’t born into this and I’m just trying to do the best I can.’
Ms Reeves also spoke of her efforts to protect her and her husband Nick Joicey, a senior civil servant, from the pressures of her job.
‘I suppose there could be worse things than living in Downing Street,’ he said. ‘But it’s not normal and kids want to be normal.’
‘We don’t turn on the radio during breakfast. We try to keep political issues away from them.’
Ms Reeves also said she was ‘tired of people explaining to me how to be Chancellor’ as she prepares for her next budget on November 26.
After a chaotic U-turn on plans to raise income tax, Ms Reeves is expected to make a statement on Wednesday announcing further tax rises as she seeks to plug a multi-billion pound gap in the public finances.
Alongside the increase in benefit cuts, the Chancellor was forced to partially roll back a controversial cut to winter fuel payments for pensioners.
Ms Reeves, who owns Labor’s record since coming to power in July 2024, acknowledged “a few simple mistakes” had been made but added: “We are fighting to win.”
Both the Chancellor and Sir Keir are under intense pressure ahead of the Budget, with questions swirling about their political future in Westminster.
Ms Reeves’ father Graham told the newspaper: ‘Rachel recognizes it’s part of the job, but not only does the pressure seem relentless, so much of it is quite unpleasant and unfair.
‘He will get through this because he has always been a very determined and hard-working person. But I think some things hurt him more than he lets on.’
He added: ‘I’m his father, not his political advisor, so I would say you have to remember that he has his own family and they are incredibly important to him.’
