Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ uncle believes Keir Starmer was to blame for her tears at PMQs after she cited a ‘personal issue’ for sobbing in the Commons.
Terry Smith, 72, the brother of the Chancellor’s mother Sally Reeves, also advised his niece to ‘stop spending money on the migrants and focus on fixing the country instead’.
But the retired construction company owner and vintage car enthusiast, who hails from north Kent, is clear that the Prime Minister, in his view, was responsible for Ms Reeves’ sobbing.
‘I think Rachel was upset because she wasn’t getting the backing she deserved, Keir Starmer immediately backtracked and backed her’, he told MailOnline today.
And he does not think she should be blamed for some of the ‘farcical’ policies and decisions Labour has made – pointing the finger at the PM, Angela Rayner, Ed Miliband ‘and the rest’.
The pound and bond markets plunged as tears tumbled down her face while the Chancellor looked directly at the Labour leader. But she later insisted she had been dealing with a ‘personal issue’ – not a row with her boss or colleagues.
But her uncle Terry told MailOnline: ‘For Rachel to be taking all the responsibility just doesn’t seem right’.
He added: ‘I don’t agree with Rachel’s politics, but I don’t think she deserves all the blame. Keir Starmer needs to take some responsibility, as do Angela Rayner, Ed Miliband and the rest – they are all begging for money from her for their departments’.
Terry, who has said he is proud of his niece but opposes her political views, has admitted he is upset about the way Labour Government has targeted pensioners.
‘I’m a pensioner, I have paid my dues all my life. I think pensioners have been wrongly treated and should not be involved in this issue and should be left alone’, he said.
‘I never thought the winter fuel payments should be going to rich people – but now it seems like they’re going to everyone again. They should be means tested.
‘The benefits policy, obviously we need to get the costs lower, but I don’t understand where this new black hole has come from.
‘When she started Rachel said there was a black hole, she filled that, and now there’s another one.
‘They seem to have spent all the money on the NHS and now there’s nothing left for anything else – that and the people coming across on small boats.
‘They should just stop spending money on the migrants and focus on fixing the country instead’.
He added: ‘It has just been farcical – the whole thing is a joke.’
Uncle Terry spoke out after Keir Starmer’s claim that he did not know Rachel Reeves was in tears was branded ‘nonsense’ after the Tories insisted they gave Labour ‘early warning’ of her distress.
Tory MPs revealed they alerted Labour whips to the fact that the Chancellor was weeping in the Commons to ensure she got help.
They say that was at 11.43am – 17 minutes before Prime Minister’s Questions when Ms Reeves had tears rolling down her cheeks as she sat next to an apparently oblivious Sir Keir.
One Tory MP said: ‘It simply beggars belief that with that much warning, the PM wasn’t told.
‘Nearly 20 minutes before PMQs began, we could see Reeves was already tearful sitting on the front bench and we alerted Labour whips to the problem.
‘It’s nonsense to say Starmer wouldn’t have been aware.’
Last night Downing Street was still insisting Sir Keir spent the entire half-hour session of questions unaware of her trauma.
But amid continued confusion, party sources claimed last night that Labour whips were so worried at Ms Reeves’ state of mind, they tried to stop her appearing alongside Sir Keir.
They said whips pleaded with Ms Reeves – who had briefly come out of the Chamber – not to go back inside.
But sources close to the Chancellor said there was ‘no truth’ in that claim.
Ms Reeves said yesterday she regretted going into PMQs in tears ‘after a tough day in the office’.
She told The Guardian: ‘It was a personal matter but it was in the glare of the camera.
‘And that’s unfortunate, but I think people have seen that I’m back in business and back out there.’
The events – which sparked turmoil on financial markets – began after Ms Reeves was rebuked by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle as she entered the Commons over taking too long to answer Treasury questions the previous day.
She was overheard replying that she was ‘under so much pressure’ before briefly taking her seat but then leaving afterwards in what appeared to be distress.
To the surprise of some Labour MPs, Ms Reeves then reappeared to take her place at Sir Keir’s side when he arrived for PMQs.
But to the horror of colleagues, the self-styled Iron Chancellor then wept beside the PM.
MPs were surprised that Sir Keir was seemingly oblivious to how upset she was, even after Tory leader Kemi Badenoch pointed out how ‘absolutely miserable’ she looked.
Sir Keir also forgot to guarantee that his Chancellor’s position was safe after her role in last week’s humiliating U-turn on saving almost £5 billion from controversial welfare cutbacks.
The Government was forced to deny reports that Sir Keir and his deputy Angela Rayner had rows with Ms Reeves over the benefits fiasco which had upset her.
The Treasury insisted her distress was caused by a personal matter, while Ms Reeves sought to bounce back next day with an unexpected appearance at the launch of the Government’s ten-year health plan.
But questions have remained over how Sir Keir could not have been aware of her state of mind – especially as his parliamentary aide Chris Ward tapped her on the shoulder to check she was OK.
Later on Wednesday, Sir Keir told the BBC that Ms Reeves would be Chancellor ‘for a very long time to come’.
