Politics latest: Starmer insists Rachel Reeves will be chancellor for ‘years to come’ after tears at PMQs – UK Times

The prime minister has insisted that Rachel Reeves is doing an “excellent job” as chancellor, and that they continue to “work together”.

It follows her tearful appearance at Wednesday’s charged PMQs, which saw her budget scrutinised after yesterday’s concessions to the welfare bill majorly impact her proposed savings.

Asked if Reeves would remain in government Sir Keir said: “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.”

He said Reeves’ tears had “nothing to do with politics” or this week’s welfare U-turns – which potentially blows a hole in her Budget plans.

“That’s absolutely wrong,” said Sir Keir. “Nothing to do with what’s happened this week. It was a personal matter for her, I’m not going to intrude on her privacy by talking to you.”

Jeremy Corbyn warned the proscription of direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation will have a “chilling effect on protests”.

The Independent MP for Islington North said: “Surely we should be looking at the issue that Palestine Action are concerned about, and the supply of weapons from this country to Israel, which has made all this possible. If this order goes through today, it will have a chilling effect on protests.”

The House of Lords has backed a move to block the expulsion of hereditary peers from the upper chamber.

Peers supported by 280 votes to 243, majority 37, an amendment to the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill that would instead see a gradual reduction of bloodline peers.

The amendment, put forward by shadow culture minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, would abolish the aristocratic by-elections, meaning the number of hereditary peers would decrease as individuals die or retire.

There are currently 92 seats reserved for members of the Lords who are there by right of birth, but there are only 86 currently sitting.

This is because by-elections were suspended after Labour won the election last year and six hereditary peers have left the House since then by death, retirement or moving on.

Independent MP for Coventry South Zarah Sultana also told the Commons: “To equate a spray can of paint with a suicide bomb isn’t just absurd, it is grotesque.

“It is a deliberate distortion of the law to chill dissent, criminalise solidarity and suppress the truth.”

Four people, including “a man who blocked the gates of Downing Street with his mobility scooter”, have been arrested following a Westminster protest by Palestine Action, the Metropolitan Police has said.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “Officers have made four arrests in the vicinity of the Palestine Action protest taking place in Westminster this evening.

“Public Order Act conditions had been imposed to prevent serious disruption, requiring anyone taking part in the protest to assemble on Richmond Terrace, off Whitehall.

“A man who blocked the gates of Downing Street with his mobility scooter and refused to move to the conditioned area was arrested for breaching the conditions.

“A woman who locked herself onto a suitcase outside the gates of Parliament has also been arrested for breaching the conditions and for being in possession of articles intended for locking-on.

“A man who was with her and refused to move to the conditioned area was arrested for breaching the conditions.

“A fourth man has also been arrested for breaching conditions.”

While his welfare reform bill passed its second reading by 335 votes to 260 – a majority of 75 – the prime minister still suffered the largest rebellion of his premiership so far, with 42 Labour MPs voting to reject the legislation.

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The House of Lords has backed a move to block the expulsion of hereditary peers from the upper chamber.

Peers supported by 280 votes to 243, majority 37, an amendment to the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill that would see a gradual reduction of bloodline peers.

The amendment, put forward by Tory frontbencher Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, would end the aristocrat by-elections and would mean the number of hereditary peers would decrease as they die or retire.

Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Smith of Basildon argued that removing the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords was a manifesto commitment.

• Chancellor Rachel Reeves appeared to cry in the Commons as Sir Keir Starmer declined to guarantee she would remain in place until the election.
• The Prime Minister faced MPs after being forced to scrap key planks of his welfare reforms, leaving an almost £5 billion black hole in Ms Reeves’ spending plans and fuelling speculation she could be forced to hike taxes.
• Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said Ms Reeves looked “absolutely miserable” and challenged the Prime Minister to say whether the Chancellor would keep her job until the next election.
• Sir Keir dodged the question about whether Ms Reeves would be in place for the remainder of the Parliament, saying Mrs Badenoch “certainly won’t”.
• Despite the Prime Minister not backing her in the Commons, Downing Street insisted she was “going nowhere” and had Sir Keir’s “full backing”.
• Asked about Ms Reeves’ tears, a spokesman for the Chancellor said it was a “personal matter”.

Former soldier Clive Lewis, now the Labour MP for Norwich South, said: “I understand what terrorism is. I was in London on July 7 in 2007 and I watched my community, this city, attacked by real terrorists.

“And at that point, rightly or wrongly, I decided I was going to Afghanistan to fight the terrorists.

“And I went because I love this country, and I love our democracy, and I want to see it protected. I think today’s proscription order against Palestine Action undermines that and I wish my Government wouldn’t do it.”

Until lunchtime today, it appeared that humiliated Keir Starmer was the biggest political victim of the government’s welfare U-turn. The extraordinary and piteous sight of chancellor Rachel Reeves in tears in the Commons has changed that.

She rightly deserves sympathy for the huge personal toll the welfare revolt has clearly had on her. From the moment Labour was elected, Reeves has staked everything on balancing the nation’s books and filling the Conservatives’ “£22bn black hole”.

However, the welfare rebellion by her party has blown a further £5bn hole in her plans, making it impossible for her to keep her pledge of no further tax rises. The fact that more than 100 of her MPs were prepared, in effect, to treat her and her strategy with contempt, forcing her to rip it up, was a big enough blow to her self-esteem.

Read the full analysis from Simon Walters here: