Rachel Reeves appears with Keir Starmer day after tears at PMQs

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has joined the Prime Minister at an event the day after she was seen crying in the House of Commons.

Reeves appeared in public smiling and laughing with Keir Starmer and UK health secretary Wes Streeting in a public show of unity on Thursday.

The chancellor Reeves said “clearly I was upset” in the Commons, but added it was her job to be at Prime Minister’s Questions “supporting the Government and that’s what I tried to do”.

The trio were seen together at the launch of the Government’s 10-year plan for the English NHS in London.

Speaking at the event, Starmer hailed the decisions made by the chancellor as playing a part in the Government investing “record amounts in the NHS”.

The Chancellor was visibly tearful in the Commons on Wednesday during Prime Minister’s Questions, as her position came under intense scrutiny after the welfare U-turn, which put an almost £5 billion black hole in her plans.

But allies said she was dealing with a “personal matter” and No 10 said she had Sir Keir’s “full backing”.

In her first public appearance since PMQs on Wednesday, Reeves said Labour’s plan for the NHS will be “good for the health of our nation and good for the health of our nation’s finances”.

Speaking about her tears in the House of Commons, Reeves told broadcasters: “Clearly I was upset yesterday and everyone could see that. It was a personal issue and I’m not going to go into the details of that.

“I guess the thing that maybe is a bit different between my job and many of your viewers’ is that when I’m having a tough day it’s on the telly and most people don’t have to deal with that.”

Rachel Reeves appeared to reject suggestions that her tears at Prime Minister’s Questions were related to a conversation with Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle or another member of Government.

Asked whether this was the case, the Chancellor told broadcasters: “No, it was a personal issue, and I’m not going into the details of that.”

She said she is “totally” up for the job of Chancellor and proud of her record.

Setting out the Government’s decision to pump cash into the NHS she said: “We fixed the foundations and we’ve put our economy back on a strong footing.”

‘Reeves is doing an excellent job’

Earlier, the Prime Minister said Reeves was doing an “excellent” job, would remain in place beyond the next general election, and that they were both absolutely committed to the Chancellor’s “fiscal rules” to maintain discipline over the public finances.

The sight of the Chancellor in tears on the front bench and Starmer’s initial lack of public support for her caused jitters about the Government’s borrowing plans, because Reeves’ commitment to her fiscal rules to control spending is a key reassuring factor for the bond markets.

However, UK Government bonds rallied and the pound steadied on Thursday after the Prime Minister’s reassurances about the Chancellor’s future.

Starmer told Virgin Radio he had spoken to the Chancellor on Wednesday evening and she was “fine”, and her tears were as a result of a “purely personal” matter rather than the “ups and downs of this week”.

He said all people could be caught “off guard” by their emotions, but added that the Chancellor had to deal with it while on camera in Parliament.

Starmer said: “I actually personally didn’t appreciate it was happening in the Chamber, because I came in, I’ve got questions being fired at me in PMQs, so I’m constantly up at the despatch box and down.

“I think we just need to be clear, it’s a personal matter, and I’m not going to breach Rachel’s privacy by going into what’s a personal matter for her.”

He said that “in politics, you’re on show the whole time, there’s no hiding place”.