‘We all struggle’ – Constituents back Reeves over Commons tears

But after the chancellor put her tears down to “a tough day” what do voters in her Leeds West constituency think of their MP’s very public display of emotion?

Nick Simpson, 40, said it was “hard to see” Reeves being so visibly upset in public.

“We understandably demand a lot from our politicians, but we all can relate to struggling a bit sometimes, especially at work,” he said.

“You need to have a cry every now and again, as you feel better afterwards and I can’t remember a situation where I felt worse after crying and so I hope she feels better.”

Reeves did not say what caused her tears as she appeared with prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to unveil the government’s 10-year plan for the NHS on Thursday.

She said she had been dealing with “a personal issue”, adding that “today’s a new day and I’m just cracking on with the job.”

She said: “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.”

Kevin Lobley, from Leeds, agreed that she didn’t have to share the reason for being upset, as “if she wants to cry then it’s none of our business really”.

“I have some sympathy with her to a point, if there is something personal going on,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sarah Kilner said that while everybody has bad days at work, there are different ways to handle it.

She said: “I think it is really bizarre that an MP would be in such a state in that setting, but they do have a personal life so she doesn’t have to let us know why.

“If I was at work and I was having a bad day, I wouldn’t expect to have to tell anybody, but I also would try not to let anybody know.”

Couple Tommy and Shirley Horner had mixed feelings about seeing a politician share her emotions so publicly.

Mr Horner said he was “shocked” to see it in Parliament, as “in there they are supposed to have this calmness and be in touch with everything”.

But Mrs Horner felt sympathy when she saw Reeves crying and “felt terrible for her personally”.

“There was nobody comforting her when she was clearly crying, what’s wrong with that, we’re all human beings and we shouldn’t be like that with each other,” she said.

Katie White, Labour MP in the neighbouring constituency of Leeds North West and a friend of the chancellor, said Reeves has been facing “an incredible amount of pressure”, especially after the government’s controversial universal credit and personal independence payment bill passed its second reading on Tuesday.

She said: “We all have difficult days, that’s totally normal, it’s human, and I think people sometimes forget that politicians, especially those at the top of their game, are human and are balancing life in the way we are all balancing life.

“There is an incredible amount of pressure on Rachel and those at the top of government. It’s a difficult job trying to change the country, and it’s right that there are tensions as it’s hard to do this and there are difficult choices ahead, but we’ll move forward as we’ve got strong leadership.”