to believe Rachel Reeves was crying because

[LargeDeviation]

1. she was upset when Lindsay Hoyle told her to keep her answers short

2. she had an argument with Keir Starmer (possibly about her keeping her job, or about how to handle the inevitable questions about the new £5.5bn per annum black hole) just before PMQs

3. Keir Starmer refused to say she would keep her job in front of the whole country. If he genuinely wanted her to stay, he would just say 'of course she's going to still be Chancellor' and that would be that.

4. she is under immense pressure because she knows she will have soon to breach her fiscal rules, she knows she is responsible for many of the decisions that will lead to that, and she knows the how serious the consequences of her failure will be. We have seen recently (even just today) how vicious the bond market can be.

In short, I believe she was crying because of professional pressures (understandable ones, though largely of her own making, and about which I have little sympathy) and not nebulous 'personal' reasons.

If her parent or partner or child or grandparent or pet is ill the natural thing is to just say 'sorry, a close relative is in hospital and my emotions got the better of me'. Everybody would understand. You don't need huge reams of evidence but you need to give the bare bones of an explanation. She is trying to style it out but we can all see through it.

I will apologise if I'm wrong but long experience shows that 'personal reasons' almost always means 'I'm skiving or jobhunting' when a colleague in the workplace uses it to excuse their time off.

I believe it means even less when uttered by a politican.

What would you have done? Seriously. I saw someone on the last thread talk about deregulating the markets - the Cameron did that and that caused unsafe cladding. Why can’t we learn from mistakes. The right wing public talk utter utter shite constantly.

I just said I was pissed off with the goverment.

To be clear. The Welfare Bill is a disgrace and should fail at its third reading or be pulled. The changes to UC for disabled people are unfair and create a two tier system. The continuing uncertainty over the future of PIP is causing awful anxiety.

I am still glad the Tories are not in charge. I want the Labour leadership to change tack though or I won't vote for them again in their current iteration.

She was crying because she has realised that the objective of the far left of her party is incompatible with a healthy economy, making her job impossible.

’You genuinely dont want them back in power if you depend on benefits’

Boom - there’s the money shot, as they say.

There we go.

So am I imagining them lowering how much you can earn for certain things? I don't think so. They did it sneaky though.

She orchestrated this whole debacle. She’s been plotting against Starmer for months now, trying to strong arm Reeves to raise taxes and leaking to the press. She is actively sabotaging Starmer and Reeves to make them look weak.

If things are bad under Starmer, imagine if Rayner takes over. The country is cooked.

The biggest cut was the two child cap!

Far left.

That’s the polar opposite of the ‘far right’, correct?

The facts are that benefits bill had never been higher than it was under the Tories. That’s just what it is.

I agree and I worry for her mental health at the moment. It was inappropriate for KB to lay into her considering how broken she looked.

Personal business that affects her ability to do her role as Chancellor is our business in so far as if it affects her ability to do her job then she should resign. If it only had a short-term affect then she should step back until she has recovered herself.

I disagree.

The sooner Rayner is in play, the better. Why? Because she will take the UK down so rapidly, that a snap election, or an IMF bail-out etc is a nailed on certainty. She will make the brief Truss mini-budget look like a vicar’s tea party.
Rayner is that toxic combination - vicious and thick.

The sooner we can lance the pus-filled boil that is this government, the sooner we can begin to repair the damage.

I presumed you are on disability?

Ive just watched the footage, and my heart hurts for her. She looks totally lost and bereft.

As said in other threads however, this has confirned to me that she is simply not cut out for a career in politics, and moreso not in high office. She is simply out of her depth.

That is not an insult, and if i spoke to her human to human id implore her to leave her post now, for her own mental health and for our economic one.

Indeed. Britain is now a welfare system with a country attached to it with minority of self dependent people. For an increasing majority, handout culture is truly ingrained in their way of life. Anything that reduces the handouts will not be welcome.

What these people don’t realize that there is no money left. Those paying into the system, the golden goose as it were, has flown. They are leaving the country in their hundreds of thousands. Wonder how long this sham of a system can continue and what the consequences will be.

Why is her assumed menopause even relevant? Not sorry, at her level of experience, expertise and position … quiver chin sobbing in front of public and colleague is a huge error in judgement. If she doesn’t know how to excuse herself before the face crumbles and tears fall, she has got big problems and not fit for office.

Walking in, sitting then excusing self, with poker face & dignity, to exit & then cry in that cupboard outside commons - that would have been the right choice for an experienced professional.

Very poor judgement Rachel.

Why would you wish for this?

I liked what Stephen Flynn, the SNP's Westminster leader, said:

"Like almost all MPs I don't know why the Chancellor was upset in the chamber today, but I do hope she is okay and back to her duties this afternoon. "Seeing another person in distress is always very difficult, and we are wishing her well."

My post answers your question.

There was real fear in her eyes, she wasn't just upset. I suspect she's out of her depth and can't take the pressure. She'll be gone by the end of July.

And the damage she and her party have created will just get worse.

That’s one way to speed up the process.

Vicious and thick is well put.

Surely a teacher is a profession? Her parents likely went to University to qualify as teachers. Yes she’s under pressure but I don’t think coming from a working class background is part of it.

Sounds like you want anarchy. I just want stability for my children.

Whilst the ‘victims’ of her polices to date, can do one.

Was what he failed to add.

I don't disagree with this, actually, she should have left the chamber when she realised she was going to lose it. But I do think it's valid to question why it's so much worse for a woman to lose it by crying than it is for a man to lose his temper or treat the house with contempt.