Why was Rachel Reeves crying at PMQs?

The News Agents

Global

Daily News, News, Government, Politics

4.2 • 4.3K Ratings

🗓️ 2 July 2025

⏱️ 37 minutes

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Summary

There is much we still don’t know or understand about today. Was Rachel Reeves upset by an altercation with the Speaker? Was the issue something more personal? Was she exhausted after the fruitless and demoralising failure of her welfare reform bill? But the sight of the Chancellor at lunch time today fighting back tears at the PM's side was pretty surreal. She looked wounded, fragile and hurt - and inevitably, it’s started speculation she does not have the Prime Minister's full confidence.

The markets are queasy - reflecting a panic that the government is looking less stable. Could the PM be about to sack his own Chancellor? And - how does he reassert his authority for the job he needs to do if the Labour MPs are now directing policy?

We talk to Keir’s former chief of staff Sam White.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

Transcript

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0:00.0	The Newsagents podcast is brought to you by HSBC UK, opening up a world of opportunity.
0:09.0	This is a global player original podcast.
0:12.5	She's pointing at me. She looks absolutely miserable. Labor MPs. Labor MPs. Yeah.
0:18.3	She looks absolutely miserable. Labor MPs, they can point as much as they
0:25.6	can point as much as they like.
0:27.2	The fact is Labour MPs are going on the record saying that the Chancellor is toast and
0:31.1	the reality is that she is a human shield for his incompetent.
0:36.1	In January, he said that she would be imposed till the next
0:39.9	election. Will she really?
0:41.3	Madam Speaker, she certainly won't. I have to say, I'm always cheered up when she
0:48.8	asked me questions or responds to a statement because she always makes a complete mess of it
0:53.4	and shows just how un- uns serious and irrelevant they are.
0:57.0	But she talks about the black hole.
0:58.9	They left a 22 billion pound black hole in our economy and we're clearing it up.
1:03.8	And I'm really proud, I'm really proud, Mr Speaker, that in the first year of a Labour government, we've got free school meals, breakfast club.
1:10.3	Is this the moment the Prime Minister sealed his Chancellor's fate?
1:16.0	Rachel Reeves looks as if she thinks she's just been fired.
1:21.2	She is literally in tears through Prime Minister's questions.
1:27.2	The most surreal Prime Minister's questions I think I have
1:30.3	ever seen. What is happening to this government? Is it in freefall? Has all command and control gone?
1:38.3	What on earth happens next? Welcome to the newsagents.
1:46.9	The Newsagents. The Newsagents.
	...

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