Rachel Reeves

Rachel Jane Reeves (born 13 February 1979) is a British politician and economist serving as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer since 2021. A member of the Labour Party, she has been Member of Parliament for Leeds West since 2010.

The Right Honourable Rachel Reeves MP
Official portrait, 2017
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 May 2021
Leader	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	Anneliese Dodds
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office 5 April 2020 – 9 May 2021
Leader	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	Francis Maude (2010)
Succeeded by	Angela Rayner
Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office
De facto 5 April 2020 – 9 May 2021
Leader	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	Jon Trickett
Succeeded by	Angela Rayner
Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee
In office 12 July 2017 – 6 May 2020
Preceded by	Iain Wright
Succeeded by	Darren Jones
Shadow portfolios 2010–2015 Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions In office 7 October 2013 – 8 June 2015 Leader Ed Miliband Harriet Harman (acting) Preceded by Liam Byrne Succeeded by Stephen Timms (acting) Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury In office 7 October 2011 – 7 October 2013 Leader Ed Miliband Preceded by Angela Eagle Succeeded by Chris Leslie Shadow Minister for Pensions In office 8 October 2010 – 7 October 2011 Leader Ed Miliband Preceded by Angela Eagle (acting) Succeeded by Gregg McClymont
Member of Parliament for Leeds West
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 May 2010
Preceded by	John Battle
Majority	10,564 (26.2%)
Personal details
Born	Rachel Jane Reeves (1979-02-13) 13 February 1979 (age 43) Lewisham, London, England
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Nicholas Joicey
Relations	Ellie Reeves (sister)
Children	2
Alma mater	New College, Oxford London School of Economics
Website	Official website

Born in Lewisham in London, Reeves studied at New College, Oxford and the London School of Economics before working as an economist at the Bank of England, the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. and HBOS. Elected at the 2010 general election, she served in Ed Miliband's Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2011 to 2013 and Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2013 to 2015.

Reeves did not return to the Shadow Cabinet following Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader in 2015, instead serving as chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee from 2017 to 2020. After Keir Starmer was elected as leader in 2020, he appointed Reeves as Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, shadowing Michael Gove. In May 2021, she replaced Anneliese Dodds as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Early life and career

The daughter of teachers^[1] Graham and Sally Reeves of Lewisham, south-east London,^[2][3] Reeves was educated at Cator Park School for Girls in Bromley.^[4] At school, she won a British Under-14 girls chess championship title in a tournament organised by the now-defunct British Women's Chess Association.^[5] After sitting A-Levels in Politics, Economics, Mathematics and Further Mathematics, she read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at New College, Oxford (MA), achieving a 2.1.^[6] She then graduated as MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.^[7] She worked as an economist at the Bank of England and British Embassy in Washington, D.C. between 2000 and 2006.^[8] Reeves moved to Leeds in 2006 to work for HBOS.^[9] She was once interviewed for a job at Goldman Sachs, but turned it down, despite claiming that the job could have made her "a lot richer".^[10]

Reeves cites the influence of her father on her and her sister Ellie Reeves MP on her socially democratic politics. She recalls how, when she was eight years old, her father, Graham, pointed out the then-Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock on the television and "told us that was who we voted for". Reeves says she and her sister have "both known we were Labour since then".^[11] She joined the Labour Party at the age of sixteen.^[12]

Political career

Reeves stood as the Labour Party parliamentary candidate in the Conservative safe seat of Bromley and Chislehurst at the 2005 general election, finishing second.^[13] She also contested the 2006 by-election in the same constituency, following the death of sitting Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Eric Forth, and finished in fourth place – while the Lib Dems jumped to second. Labour support fell from 10,241 votes to 1,925, in what was described as a "humiliation" for Labour.^[14][15] The result was the worst performance for a governing party since 1991.^[16]

Reeves later sought nomination for the Leeds West seat at the 2010 general election,^[17] seeking to replace John Battle, who had chosen to retire.^[18] She was selected to contest the seat from an all-women shortlist of Labour Party prospective parliamentary candidates.^[2] She was elected with a majority of 7,016 on 6 May 2010 – a 5,794 reduction in the majority enjoyed by Battle.^[19] In her maiden speech, delivered on 8 June 2010,^[20] Reeves praised the work of Battle and committed to continue fighting for justice for the victims of the Armley asbestos disaster and their families. In a series of questions in Parliament, she enquired whether the government would honour promises by the previous government to compensate victims of asbestos diagnosed with pleural plaques, and bring legislation into force making it easier to pursue claims against insurers.^[21]

 

Reeves in 2012

After becoming an MP, Reeves was appointed to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee^[22] then as Shadow Pensions Minister in October 2010.^[23] In her role as Shadow Pensions Minister, she campaigned against the Government's proposed acceleration of equalising state pensions ages for men and women.^[24] She was promoted to the post of Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury in October 2011.^[25][26]

Appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in 2013, Reeves proposed that anyone unemployed for two years, or one year if under 25 years old, would be required to take a guaranteed job or lose access to benefits. She caused controversy within the Labour Party by stating Labour would be "tougher" than the Conservative Party in cutting the benefits bill.^[27] She caused further controversy in early 2015 by stating "We [Labour] don’t want to be seen as, and we're not, the party to represent those who are out of work".^[28]

When Keir Starmer became Labour leader in 2020, Reeves was appointed as Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with responsibility for Labour's response to Brexit and shadowing Michael Gove.^[29]

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer

Reeves was promoted to the role of Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in a shadow cabinet reshuffle on 9 May 2021, replacing Anneliese Dodds.^[29]

In December 2021 Reeves said she would support a 2p cut to the Income Tax basic rate, if the Conservatives proposed that. She opposed the planned 1.2% rise in National Insurance rates. Reeves said Labour planned to replace business rates with a new system that charged shops fairly compared to larger online businesses.^[30]

Reeves also said the falling membership of the Labour Party was a good thing, as it was shedding unwelcome supporters.^[31][32]

Political positions and views

Reeves has written studies on the financial crisis of 2007–2010 for the Fabian Society's Fabian Review, the Institute of Public Policy Research,^[33] the Socialist Environment and Resources Association,^[34] and the European Journal of Political Economy.^[35] In an article for Renewal entitled "The Politics of Deficit Reduction", Reeves offers her critique of the then-current financial situation and efforts to bring down the budget deficit.^[36] Reeves was a proponent of quantitative easing in 2009,^[37] to alleviate the late-2000s recession having studied the effects of the policy on Japan in the early 2000s.^[38]

Reeves supports the High Speed 2 rail project,^[39] and raised the issue in the House of Commons,^[40] as well as campaigning for the proposed Kirkstall Forge railway station.^[41] In 2008 she was involved in the campaign to save the historic Bramley Baths^[42][43] and in 2011 the campaign to save the children's heart unit at Leeds General Infirmary.^{[44][better source needed]}

Reeves is a vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel,^[45] contributed a chapter to a book about Israeli politics and society,^[46] and supports the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.^[47][48]

Writing

Echoing similar titles of publications by Roy Jenkins in 1959 and Tony Wright in 1997, Reeves wrote the new edition of Why Vote Labour? in the run-up to the 2010 general election, as part of a series giving the case for each of the main political parties.^[49]

Reeves's biography of the Labour politician Alice Bacon, Baroness Bacon (1909–1993), titled Alice in Westminster: The Political Life of Alice Bacon, was published in 2017.^[50] Bacon was the first and previously only woman to represent a Leeds constituency, having represented Leeds North East and then Leeds South East between 1945 and 1970.^[51][52]

She regularly contributes to The Guardian newspaper,^[53] as well as the websites LabourList^[54] and Progress.^[55]

Personal life

Reeves is married to Nicholas Joicey,^[56] a civil servant and Gordon Brown's former private secretary and speech writer.^[57] The couple have homes in Leeds (Bramley) and London.^[58][59] Reeves announced her first pregnancy on 20 September 2012,^[60] and gave birth to a daughter.^[61] and later a son in 2015.^[59]

Rachel's younger sister Ellie is the Labour MP for Lewisham West and Penge and is married to John Cryer, Labour MP for Leyton and Wanstead.^[62][63]

References

1. Aitkenhead, Decca (13 September 2013). "Rachel Reeves on the Newsnight tweet: 'I just felt humiliated'". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
2. Thorpe, John (23 August 2007). . Yorkshire Evening Post. Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
3. "Who's Who". ukwhoswho.com. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
4. . Cator Park School for Girls. Archived from the original on 29 April 2010. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
5. Peterson, Macauley (10 August 2018). "Nine-year-old talent gets to stay in the UK". ChessBase. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
6. "Politicians". Daily Info. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
7. Reeves, Rachel. . rachelreeves.net. Rachel Reeves. Archived from the original on 23 April 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
8. Stratton, Allegra (19 March 2009). "Waiting in the Wings". The Guardian. London. from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
9. Staff writer (15 September 2007). "Battle lines drawn in Leeds West". Yorkshire Evening Post. p. 7. from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
10. Admin (24 November 2011). . Investors Fresh News. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
11. . labourlist.org. LabourList. Archived from the original on 7 February 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
12. "Leeds West MP: Rachel Reeves interview". Yorkshire Evening Post. 2 June 2010. from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
13. . This is Local London. 29 June 2006. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
14. Staff writer (30 June 2006). "Labour and Tories suffer at polls". BBC News. from the original on 22 February 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
15. Assinder, Nick (30 June 2006). "Blair to count cost of poor night". BBC News. from the original on 5 July 2006. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
16. Freedland, Jonathan (30 June 2006). "Way off base". The Guardian. London. from the original on 13 February 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
17. "Women at war". Yorkshire Evening Post.
18. Stoddard, Katy (7 April 2010). "General Election 2010: Safe and marginal seats". The Guardian. London. from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
19. "Election 2010". BBC News. 7 May 2010. from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
20. "Economic Affairs and Work and Pensions". TheyWorkForYou. 8 June 2010. from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
21. Jackson, Leigh (8 June 2010). "MP takes up asbestos battle". Insurance Post. from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
22. Staff writer (24 June 2010). . PoliticsHome. Archived from the original on 28 June 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
23. Selby, Thomas (14 October 2010). "Rachel Reeves takes Shadow pensions role". Money Marketing. from the original on 30 October 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
24. Reeves, Rachel (8 June 2011). "Don't turn back the clock for women". The Guardian. London. from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
25. Selby, Thomas (7 October 2011). "Miliband promotes Rachel Reeves to Shadow cabinet". Money Marketing. from the original on 14 October 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
26. "Ed Miliband promotes fresh faces to Labour top team". 7 October 2011. from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
27. Helm, Toby (12 October 2013). "Labour will be tougher than Tories on benefits, promises new welfare chief". The Observer. London. from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
28. O'Connor, Roisin (17 March 2015). "Rachel Reeves says Labour does not want to represent people out of work". The Independent. London. from the original on 17 August 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
29. Doherty, Caitlin (9 May 2021). "Reeves rises while Dodds drops in Labour reshuffle". Evening Standard. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
30. Boscia, Stefan (9 December 2021). "Labour's Rachel Reeves would support cut to UK basic rate of Income Tax". City A.M. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
31. Parker, George; Pickard, Jim (19 January 2022). "Labour party is now 'pro-business', vows Rachel Reeves". Financial Times. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
32. Calvert, Alana (20 January 2022). "Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves says Labour has ditched Corbynite past and is now 'pro-business'". The Independent. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
33. Reeves, Rachel; Dolphin, Tony; Clifton, Jonathan (15 July 2009). Building a Better Balanced UK Economy. Institute for Public Policy Research. from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
34. Reeves, Rachel; Pakes, Andrew. The Road to Copenhagen (PDF). Socialist Environment and Resources Association (SERA). (PDF) from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
35. Reeves, Rachel; Sawicki, Michael (March 2007). "Do financial markets react to Bank of England communication?". European Journal of Political Economy. Elsevier. 23 (1): 207–227. doi:10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2006.09.018. hdl:10419/84696. S2CID 154341122. Pdf. 15 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine
36. Reeves, Rachel (2010). "The politics of deficit reduction". Renewal. Lawrence and Wishart. 18 (3–4). from the original on 16 July 2011.
37. Reeves, Rachel (5 March 2009). "Labour must challenge the Tories on quantitative easing". LabourList. from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
38. "Rachel Reeves: can she save the Labour Party?". The Independent. London. 9 October 2011. from the original on 12 December 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
39. Reed, Jonathan (30 March 2011). "Transport Minister reacts to today's demand from 90 regional leaders for high-speed rail link". Yorkshire Evening Post. from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
40. Staff writer (29 October 2010). "Minister 'shrugs off' Leeds MP's transport questions". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
41. Staff writer (30 June 2011). "Leeds: MP calls for end to railway station 'limbo'". Yorkshire Evening Post. from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
42. . victoriansociety.org.uk. Victorian Society. 25 July 2008. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
43. "Leeds West MP makes a splash for Bramley Baths". Yorkshire Evening Post. 21 July 2011. from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
44. "Oral Answers to Questions — Health". theyworkforyou.com. TheyWorkForYou. 12 July 2011. from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
45. Wright, Oliver (10 October 2014). "Anger grows within Labour over forced Palestinian vote". The Independent. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
46. Richards, Paul (18 November 2011). . Progress. Archived from the original on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
47. Reeves, Rachel (6 August 2011). "Preserving Auschwitz-Birkenau". The Jerusalem Post. from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
48. Harpin, Lee (7 August 2019). "Dame Louise Ellman becomes new Labour Friends of Israel chair". Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
49. Reeves, Rachel (2010). Why Vote Labour?. London: Biteback Pub. ISBN 978-1-84954-019-3. OCLC 477289445.
50. Kynaston, David (22 January 2017) Alice in Westminster: The Political Life of Alice Bacon by Rachel Reeves – review in TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 10 October 2018
51. Staff writer (6 May 2010). "Election reaction: Rachel is Leeds West's first lady". Yorkshire Evening Post. from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
52. Hookham, Mark (2 June 2010). "Leeds West MP: Rachel Reeves interview". Yorkshire Evening Post. from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
53. The Guardian. Rachel Reeves profile. Retrieved 11 October 2018
54. . LabourList. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
55. "Articles by Rachel Reeves". Progress. from the original on 24 June 2017.
56. See the following:
    • Isaaman, Gerald (2 November 2011). . Marlborough News Online. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
    • Staff writer (2016), "JOICEY, Nicholas Beverley", Who's Who 2017. A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U247215 (subscription may be required or content may be available in libraries that are in the UK)
    • . brettonwoodsproject.org. Bretton Woods Project. 18 July 2011. Archived from the original on 24 November 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
57. . Grimsby Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
58. . Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 27 August 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
59. Mikhailova, Anna (29 May 2016). "Fame & Fortune: I said no to a Goldman Sachs job". The Times. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
60. Riddell, Mary (21 February 2015). "I'll end the bedroom tax then have a new baby, says Rachel Reeves". Daily Telegraph. from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
61. Bowyer, Laura (20 September 2012). "Baby joy for Leeds West Labour MP Rachel Reeves". Yorkshire Evening Post. from the original on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
62. "Clean sweep for Corbyn supporters in Labour NEC election". BBC News. 9 August 2016. from the original on 28 May 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
63. Greatex, Jonny (26 August 2012). "MP Tom Watson finds new love after break up of marriage". Birmingham Mail. from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rachel Reeves.

• Official website
• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
• Fabian Society
• Appearances on C-SPAN

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by John Battle	Member of Parliament for Leeds West 2010–present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Angela Eagle	Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury 2011–2013	Succeeded by Chris Leslie
Preceded by Liam Byrne	Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 2013–2015	Succeeded by Stephen Timms Acting
Vacant Title last held by Francis Maude	Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 2020–2021	Succeeded by Angela Rayner
Preceded by Jon Trickett	Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office 2020–2021
Preceded by Anneliese Dodds	Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer 2021–present	Incumbent