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The female business leader lent her support to Rachel Reeves last week for the prime minister’s tearful appearance in the House.
Lane Newton Smith said this week at a CBI dinner in Cambridge that “many women leaders” had contacted her and asked her to share solidarity with Reeves after she wept tears after the government’s humble defeat in welfare reform.
The Treasury maintains the line that the Prime Minister deals with unspecified “personal issues.”
Newton Smith told business audience:
“As a female leader, it was very difficult when I saw it. Did a lot of female leaders say they can get in touch with me and get a message to the Prime Minister?
“It wasn’t a political point, but they say that as women and leaders in business, they show us our humanity. It’s part of our vulnerability, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
Newton Smith added:
She said other prime ministers, such as the sometimes-tempered Gordon Brown, “maybe dealt with the pressure in a different way.”
Co-op Chief Executive Officer, Shirine Khoury-Haq, saw many people in tears in their 30 years of business and said it was rarely related to the work itself.
“It’s hard enough to be able to hear bad news or face personal difficulties while facing personal difficulties. Doing it in the public eye is something entirely different, capturing every moment,” she said.
“People express their emotions in many different ways. But leaders who lead with empathy can tell you that they are the strongest and best leaders I have worked with. That’s not weakness, they’re strength.”
On the day Reeves appeared to shed tears at the Commons, Guilt’s yields skyrocketed and feared that the market was about to leave the Treasury, indicating a relaxation of government’s fiscal discipline.
Julie Abraham, chief executive of music equipment retailer Richer Sounds, who signed a letter welcoming Reeves to become the first female prime minister last year, said that while she is not a fan of all Reeves’ policies, she should give “a praise to praise when she goes through it and does work.”
“The difference is that the Prime Minister was on camera at the most common job you could get. Everyone knew that the job itself would become a sit show, and they knew that the market reaction actually wasn’t anyone better at the job.”
Joe Whitfield, former CEO of Matalan and Asda’s board director, agreed.
She said, “Sometimes there are straws that break the camel’s back, while most people at work try to deal with feelings outside of work.
“It would be a shame that she feels she needs to transform into a more sturdy ‘shell’ type figure now to show that she’s not weak right now. ”
But one anonymous female chief executive said while she was in tears at work, “There’s no way to make everyone see me upset.
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Shevaun Havilland, director of the British Chamber of Commerce, said her “heart went out to her,” making her think about the “unthan-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than-than
Sam Smith, founder and former boss of City Broker Fin Cup, said: “She’s gotten so well that there was a nasty response that meant she was a trash leader.
Wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill was frequently a lacrimoe in public, but in recent years, former conservative health secretary Matt Hancock cried live on television when Brits received their first covid vaccine.
