Keir Starmer insists Rachel Reeves will remain Chancellor for 'a very long time'

Starmer, who yesterday refused to rule out sacking Reeves before the next election, told the BBC: "She's done an excellent job as Chancellor and we have delivered inward investment to this country in record numbers.

"She and I work together, we think together. In the past there have been examples, I won't give any specifics, of Chancellors and Prime Ministers who weren't in lockstep. We're in lockstep."

When asked about the scenes in the House of Commons yesterday, Starmer added: "It was a personal matter for her, I'm not going to intrude on her privacy by talking to you."

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Wes Streeting defended the Chancellor's position, praising her work since Labour came to power.

Streeting said: "We are absolutely clear and unequivocal, from the Prime Minister right across the Cabinet, throughout the party, Rachel Reeves is here to stay as Chancellor and thank goodness that she is."

The Chancellor herself later rejected suggestions that her tears were related to a conversation with Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle or another member of Government.

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Reeves told reporters: "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.

“My job as Chancellor at 12 o’clock on a Wednesday is to be at PMQs next to the Prime Minister, supporting the Government and that’s what I tried to do.

“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.

"People saw I was upset, but that was yesterday. Today’s a new day and I’m just cracking on with the job."

The Prime Minister continued to pour praise upon her in an open show of unity, hailing the decisions made by the Chancellor as playing a part in the Government investing "record amounts in the NHS".

Starmer said he did not "appreciate" that Reeves was crying behind him at PMQs as the event is “pretty wired”.

He said: "It goes from question to question and I am literally up, down, question, looking at who is asking me a question, thinking about my response and getting up and answering it.

"It wasn’t just yesterday. No prime minister ever has had side conversations in PMQs. It does happen in other debates when there is a bit more time, but in PMQs it is bang, bang, bang, bang.

"That is what it was yesterday and therefore I was probably the last to appreciate anything else going on in the chamber."