Rachel Reeves is said to have had an “altercation” with Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle immediately prior to Prime Minister’s Questions.

A minister told The Mirror they did not know what the row was about, but that “[Speaker Hoyle] ended up apologising.” A spokesperson for the Commons Speaker declined to comment.

It came as Ms Reeves appeared to be in tears in the Commons as she sat next to Keir Starmer during a tense PMQs on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Starmer swerved questions over the Chancellor’s future during exchanges with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch – but No10 later insisted she was “going nowhere”.

On the PM’s backing for Ms Reeves, a spokeswoman for Mr Starmer added: “He’s said it plenty of times. He doesn’t need to repeat it every time the Leader of the Opposition speculates about Labour politicians.”

A spokesman for the Chancellor added: “It’s a personal matter, which – as you would expect – we are not going to get into. The Chancellor will be working out of Downing Street this afternoon.”

The Chancellor was seen looking upset during PMQs ( 
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Mr Starmer faced Tory leader Kemi Badenoch after being forced to scrap key planks of his welfare reforms, leaving an almost £5billion black hole in Ms Reeves’ spending plans and fuelling speculation she could be forced to hike taxes.

Ms Badenoch said Ms Reeves looked “absolutely miserable”, with the Chancellor seen wiping tears from her face during the debate. Labour minister Ellie Reeves appeared to be holding her sister’s hand as she left the chamber.

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When asked if she would stay in position, Mr Starmer dodged the question, instead saying Ms Badenoch “certainly won’t”.

It came as the Conservative leader said the “welfare bill was created to plug a black hole created by the Chancellor. Instead, they’re creating new ones”. Ms Reeves reacted from the government frontbenches, to which Ms Badenoch hit back: “She’s pointing at me, she looks absolutely miserable. They can point as much as they like but the fact is Labour MPs are going on the record saying the Chancellor is ‘toast’ and the reality is he is a human shield for his incompetence.”

She added: “In January, she said she will be in post until the next election. Will she really?”