Rachel Reeves makes first public statement since tearful PMQs appearance

She gave an impromptu speech at the launch of the Government’s 10 year plan for the NHS yesterday, saying: “We are spending money on taxpayers’ priorities, but that wouldn’t have been possible without the measures that we took in the budget last year.”

Ms Reeves would not, however, be drawn into answering questions about the “personal matter” which had upset her ahead of Wednesday’s PMQs.

She told broadcasters yesterday: “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.”

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

“People saw I was upset, but that was yesterday. Today’s a new day and I’m just cracking on with the job,” she added from the NHS launch yesterday.

Sir Keir gave a full-throated defence of his Chancellor, and said he had not appreciated how upset she was while he was focused on the cut and thrust of Parliament’s most-viewed weekly event.

Smiling as she spoke at a health centre in London, the Chancellor insisted the NHS plan was “good for the health of our nation and good for the health of our nation’s finances”.

She also stopped to take selfies with nurses and other healthcare staff who were gathered for the launch.

Sir Keir and Ms Reeves embraced as he made his way to the podium to give a speech after the Chancellor had finished.

The Prime Minister poured 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”.

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

“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,” he said.

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

He said she 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.

UK Government bonds rallied and the pound steadied yesterday, after reassurances from the Prime Minister about the Chancellor’s future.

Concerns that Ms Reeves was about to be replaced by a more left-wing Chancellor triggered sharp sell-off of bonds on Wednesday.