Rachel Reeves cried during Prime Minister’s Questions after an “altercation” with the Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

Ms Reeves was visibly emotional during PMQs and a spokesperson for the Chancellor said afterwards that she was dealing with a “personal matter”. 

But it has now emerged that Ms Reeves had a “row” with Sir Lindsay when she entered the chamber before the session got underway. 

The Telegraph understands that Sir Lindsay spoke to Ms Reeves before PMQs about her conduct at Treasury questions in the Commons on Tuesday, where he asked her three times to be more brief in her answers.

On the third time, he interrupted her and she replied: “Oh, alright then.”

The Speaker is understood to have told her that it did not reflect well on either of them to be seen to disagree on the floor of the chamber, and pointed towards a tweet by the political sketchwriter Quentin Letts, who reported the altercation at the time.

After Sir Lindsay raised the issue with Ms Reeves today, she is understood to have begun crying. 

Her spokesman said that she was already dealing with a “personal matter” before she attended PMQs.

A spokeswoman for Sir Lindsay declined to comment. Ms Reeves’ team has been contacted for comment.

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