Amidst the tearful Commons appearance of Rachel Reeves at PMQs on Wednesday, later that week I stood in my kitchen listening to the insightful Jeremy Vine discuss the idea of “Is it okay to cry at work?”. This got me thinking about what life is like for MPs and how their mental health is affected, and how this can reflect in their work and passion for their job. I must first say that this notion has already been explored by BBC and Guardian journalists post PMQs, but here is the summary and my take on it.
Speculation
Many speculated that her tears were due to Keir Starmer’s inability to guarantee her role for the next election at the time of questioning. The New Statesman described how the likelihood of rising taxes is strong, and this could create further issues within the party and erode unity.
The lack of options is what leaves her in an unstable position. Time is running out for Reeves to be able to budget effectively, and pleasing her party is becoming increasingly difficult due to the ideological instability of the Labour Party.
Does one take on the role of a leader and rescind their right to be human or treated as a person?
Not only is online criticism enabled and often deemed valid as politicians submit themselves to public scrutiny, but how can we hold someone to account whilst understanding individual human nature?
I know I have strong views on politicians, but I have a moral dilemma with understanding and sympathising with a person who may not have the majority’s best interest at heart. So, for the sake of this article, I will not be discussing my views on politicians, but how the lives of politicians impact their humanity towards others and others towards them.
I would like to clarify that in discussing mental health I am in no way inferring Rachel Reeves’s specific state of mind as her tears were due to a personal matter.
Upon reflection after hearing this news and doing extra research on emotions at work that …
Yes! I have cried at work before.
This was in the comfort of the staff room for a few minutes, also due to personal matters, and yet I do not have the same scrutiny or impact that an MP or leader would have as a result. As The Guardian reported, for women tears can be a sign of shame, yet it is like any other emotion of sadness and happiness or anger.
In some ways this could be an issue of sexism within politics, as in general it is found women do cry more than men. In 2015 34% of men said they didn’t cry in the year prior compared to 7% of women. (You.gov, 2015.) This study is also explored by The Guardian. Are her tears being weaponised because she is a woman and she is showing emotion?
On the other hand, it could be said there is a difference between a situation at my part-time job and crashing the economy, creating dissolution within the Labour Party.
Like any other emotion, unless it impacts your ability to do your job, I do not see a problem with showing emotion. Using this line of thought, Reeves is doing her job; whether it is done well depends on your political views. It was shocking to see Reeves shed a tear on Wednesday, but for me, this brought more concern rather than criticism.
It was reported by the BMJ and King’s College London that 34% of MPs reported to have ‘common mental health problems’ (Poulter et al., 2019). At this percentage, I would propose a causal link between their occupation and mental health. The response to Reeves’s appearance at PMQs demonstrates this link. The Daily Mail coined it “Teargate” with the front page on the 4th of July describing how Rachel Reeves ‘made all women look weak’, according to Jan Moir .
Yet if a man shows emotion, he does not become a representative of all men. I do not feel weakened by a woman showing emotion in her job role which is in turmoil. I feel only weakened by the policy in place, not the personal actions of a politician.
For whatever reason, she cried on Wednesday…
Should it matter why she cried?
Perception matters, and their roles are difficult as we put them on a pedestal, making them a figurehead and representative for everyone when the emotions of another woman do not impact me, but if anything, make her more human. In this way, it forces us to humanise an MP, and this is difficult for us to understand as they are not just their job role.
This does NOT make Rachel Reeves a feminist icon or an ambassador for mental health, but the situation of her crying in parliament is significant for the humanisation of politics. Reeve’s credibility has been called into question, yet this is not because of tears shed but because of the differences within the Labour Party and unwelcomed policy changes.
Crying at any job.
When sitting at a restaurant next time with whomever you are with, think – is the waiter serving me food just a waiter or are they also a person with a unique personality and life? They are the latter; we can never understand the depth of someone’s emotions or life, but shedding a tear should be treated the same as cracking a smile. As long as we respond to someone with kindness, they may smile; it is only when provoked someone will cry. Thus, crying cannot be a weakness in any circumstance, but it is a sign of response. This provocation may be an individual’s inner thought or life outside of work.
Having a life like those on the programme “Severance” would be unrealistic and propose problems given our personality is what makes us good at a job. What I would say, is if crying or being emotional at work is a regular occurrence, then perhaps thinking of ways to help yourself is the next step in your personal and professional journey. Positive mental health is a key part of a successful employee so making sure it is a positive experience for yourself, and others is vital.
Is there a place for emotions in professional persona? I’m still reasoning with the idea of emotions in the workplace. I know that I filter myself heavily when I am at work to remain professional. Could this develop in the future though, and if I unfiltered myself slightly, maybe this could make me a better employee and team member, as I would be myself and not hold onto those emotions that bubble over during work. At the same time, I am protecting myself from work affecting me by having a barrier between my personal and professional life. While I think expressing your emotions at work makes you even more human, this can cross a line when someone should seek help for the sake of their professional life.
Here are some of the articles explored:
BMJ – https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/7/e027892
BBC – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyqpywqz9wo
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpd1jw1d645o
Centre for Mental Health – https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/changing-culture-one-voice-at-a-time-mps-speaking-out-on-mental-health/
Kings College London – https://www.kcl.ac.uk/archive/news/ioppn/records/2019/july/stigma-and-stress-mental-health-problems-common-among-mps
The Daily Mail and Mail online – https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-mail/20250704/page/1
The Guardian – https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jul/04/crying-women-workplace-tears-rachel-reeves
The I Paper – https://inews.co.uk/news/reeves-horrible-moment-keir-starmer-3787123
The New Statesman – https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2025/07/the-meaning-of-the-chancellors-tears
The Sun – https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/35714222/rachel-reeves-cried-pmqs-labour-economy-kwasi-kwarteng/
YouGov – https://yougov.co.uk/society/articles/13074-women-cry
