Rachel Reeves dealt huge ‘kick in the nuts’ by Keir Starmer with snub | Politics | News
Embattled Chancellor Rachel Reeves received a “kick in the nuts” from Sir Keir Starmer during his high-profile trip to China, a Conservative MP has claimed. Sir Keir met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on the first morning of hisย trip to China on Wednesday.
The Labour leader became the first UK prime minister to visit the Far East economic powerhouse since Tory PM Theresa May in 2018. But noticeably absent from the trip has been Rachel Reeves, a mystery that seems all the more baffling given Sir Keir has hailed the visit to be all about economic benefits such as “boosting” UK financial growth and “jobs at home”.
Daily Express Assistant Editor JJ Anisiobi and Esther McVey discussed what could lie behind Ms Reeves’ no-show during a lively debate on the Daily Expresso podcast. JJ introduced the topic of a potential “civil war” between Ms Reeves camp and the PM.
He said: “I wrote an exclusive this week saying how Rachel Reeves was fuming, she was spitting feathers that she wasn’t over in China and now she’s worried about her future because Starmer took all the big business people.”
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The PM being manhandled in China during a military parade (Image: Getty )
He added: “Why not take the person who’s supposed to be in charge of growth? Very strange.”
Conservative MP for Tatton, Ms McVey, agreed with JJ’s assessment, noting: “Well, it was interesting when Starmer arrived in China and he said, I’m here with my senior ministers and Rachel Reeves wasn’t there.
“And I’m with top business people. There was about 50 business people and organisations with us. So that was I’d call it a kick in the nuts to Rachel Reeves.”
Ms McVey added that Ms Reeves looked “very tearful” during Wednesday’s Commons session.
She continued: “She did look like a woman who is on her way out. She didn’t give the long-awaited statement on pubs, which isn’t a U-turn, the support they’re going to get is like half, you know, it’s a failed U-turn.
“I think they’ve realised she has messed up with the economy. He (Starmer) has gone to China basically begging for money and President Xi has said I want to deepen trade relationships, it’s going to be a more sophisticated relationship.
“I really felt he had Starmer under the thumb. I felt he was absolutely dictating what Starmer was going to get.”
JJ Anisiobi and Esther McVey discussed Sir Keir’s trip to China on the Daily Expresso (Image: YouTube )
Speaking about this visit to the Far East, Sir Keir said: “As one of the world’s economic powerhouses, businesses have been crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China.
“We’ll make it easier for them to do so – including via relaxed visa rules for short-term travel – supporting them to expand abroad, all while boosting growth and jobs at home.”
However, the UK increasingly ties with Beijing has drawn criticism with the PM earning the nickname “kowtow Keir” – kowtow being a reference to the Chinese custom of kneeling and touching the forehead to the floor in an act of worship or submission.
China’s human rights record has come under scrutiny with activists urging Sir Keir to raise the case of 78-year-old British national Jimmy Lai who has been “arbitrarily detained” by Chinese authorities in the former British colony of Hong Kong.
Labour approval for China’s new ‘super embassy’ in London prior to the trip has also raised questions as campaigners fear it will give Beijing access to sensitive British underground financial cables.
