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Rachel Reeves

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Rachel Reeves
MP
File:Rachelwikinew.jpg
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 October 2011
LeaderEd Miliband
Preceded byAngela Eagle
Shadow Pensions Minister
In office
7 October 2010 – 7 October 2011
LeaderEd Miliband
Succeeded byGregg McClymont
Member of Parliament
for Leeds West
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded byJohn Battle
Majority7,016 (18.1%)
Personal details
Born (1979-02-13) 13 February 1979 (age 45)
Lewisham, London, England
Political partyLabour
SpouseNicholas Joicey
ResidenceKirkstall
Alma materNew College, Oxford
London School of Economics
OccupationEconomist
Websiterachelreeves.net

Rachel Jane Reeves[1] (born 13 February 1979) is an economist and a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Leeds West since 2010. She served as Shadow Pensions Minister from October 2010 until October 2011, when she was appointed as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury by Ed Miliband.[2]

Background

Reeves was born in Lewisham[3] and educated at Cator Park School for Girls in Bromley, South East London.[4] She cites the influence of her father on herself and her sister supporting the Labour Party, recalling how when she was eight years old he pointed out Neil Kinnock on the television and "told us that was who we voted for". Reeves says both her and her sister had "both known we were Labour since then".[5] She joined the Labour Party at age 16, motivated by her experiences at her school in Kent under the Thatcher and Major governments where, she has stated that, there were not enough textbooks to go around, after school activities such as music and sports were cut, special needs teaching was scrapped and libraries were converted into classrooms.[6]

She read Politics, Philosophy and Economics at New College, Oxford, followed by an MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.[7]

Career

Reeves worked as an economist at the Bank of England and British Embassy in Washington, D.C. between 2000 and 2006.[8][9] Between 2006 and July 2009, she worked as a business planner and analyst for Halifax Bank of Scotland (now part of Lloyds Banking Group).[10]

She stood as the Labour Party candidate in the Conservative safe seat Bromley and Chislehurst in the 2005 general election where she finished second.[11] She again contested the seat in the 2006 by-election following the death of sitting MP Eric Forth and finished fourth. Reeves' support reduced from 10,241 votes to 1,925 in what was described as a "humiliation" for Labour.[12][13] The result was the worst performance for a governing party since 1991.[14][15]

Member of Parliament

Reeves moved to Leeds in 2006 to seek the nomination for the Leeds West seat at the at the 2010 General Election.[16] She was selected by the Labour Party to contest the seat from an all-women shortlist imposed by Labour head office.[3] She defended the Labour safe seat replacing John Battle, who had chosen to retire.[17] Reeves was elected with a majority of 7,016 on 6 May 2010, a 5,794 reduction in majority compared to her predecessor,[18] becoming the first female to represent a Leeds constituency since Alice Bacon, who was an MP in the city for 25 years until 1970.[19]

In her maiden speech, delivered on 8th June 2010,[20] Reeves praised the work of her predecessor, John Battle, and pledged to fight for jobs, growth and prosperity for Leeds West.[21] Reeves also pledged to follow in Battle's footsteps and fight for justice for the victims of the Armley asbestos disaster and their families. In a series of questions in parliament, Reeves 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.[22]

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

Reeves is a supporter of the High Speed Rail campaign,[27] raising the issue in Parliament,[28] as well as campaigning for the proposed Kirkstall Forge railway station.[29] She is also involved in the campaign to save the historic Bramley Baths[30] and the campaign to save the children's heart unit at the Leeds General Infirmary, raising the issue in Parliament and asking the Secretary of State for Health to pledge to do all that he can to keep the unit open.[31]

Writing

Reeves has written on the financial crisis of 2007–2010 for the Fabian Review, Institute of Public Policy Research,[32] Socialist Environment and Resources Association,[33] and European Journal of Political Economy.[34] Following her election as MP, Reeves wrote about the direction of UK government fiscal policy in Renewal, the Journal of Social Democracy. In an article entitled 'The Politics of Deficit Reduction',[35] Reeves offers her critique of the current financial situation and efforts to bring down the budget deficit.

Following similar titles by Roy Jenkins in 1959 and Tony Wright in 1997,[36] Reeves wrote the new edition of Why Vote Labour?, as part of a series giving the case for each of the main political parties at the 2010 general election.[37]

Reeves regularly contributes articles to publications such as LabourList,[38] Progress Online[39] and Comment is Free.[40] She is currently writing a biography of Alice Bacon,[7] the only other female to have served as a Member of Parliament for a Leeds constituency.[citation needed]

Personal life

Rachel lives in Kirkstall, Leeds and lists her hobbies as swimming, reading and walking.[41]. Her younger sister, Ellie, is a member of Labour's ruling National Executive and sits on Labour's Joint Policy Committee.[42][16]

Rachel is a patron of Bramley Elderly Action and a trustee of Leeds Healthy Living Network.[7] She was previously on the board of BARCA - Leeds and a governor of Swallow Hill Community College, and Kirkstall Valley Primary School.[7]

References

  1. ^ Search Results
  2. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15212234
  3. ^ a b The legal eagle who left sisters scuppered - Jayne Dawson - Yorkshire Evening Post
  4. ^ http://www.catorpark.bromley.sch.uk/content/latestnews/latestnews6.asp/
  5. ^ PPC Profile: Rachel Reeves | LabourList.org 2.0.2 | LabourList.org
  6. ^ "Leeds West MP: Rachel Reeves interview". Yorkshire Evening Post.
  7. ^ a b c d About Rachel
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference DFinch was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Stratton, Allegra (19 March 2009). "Waiting in the Wings". London: Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  10. ^ "Battle Lines Drawn" (Document). Yorkshire Evening Post. 15 September 2007. p. 7.{{cite document}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  11. ^ Voting begins in Bromley and Chislehurst by-election (From This Is Local London)
  12. ^ BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Labour and Tories suffer at polls
  13. ^ BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Blair to count cost of poor night
  14. ^ 'Out of steam' Blair refuses to name departure date | Mail Online
  15. ^ Way off base | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
  16. ^ a b Women at war - Jayne Dawson - Yorkshire Evening Post
  17. ^ General Election 2010: Safe seats | News | guardian.co.uk
  18. ^ "'Election 2010'". BBC.
  19. ^ "'Election reaction: Rachel is Leeds West's first lady '". Yorkshire Evening Post.
  20. ^ "'Economic Affairs and Work and Pensions'". They Work For You.
  21. ^ "'Economic Affairs and Work and Pensions '". They Work For You. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 40 (help)
  22. ^ "'http://www.postonline.co.uk/post/news/1653390/mp-takes-asbestos-battle'". Post Online. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  23. ^ New MPs elected to select committees: ePolitix.com
  24. ^ Rachel Reeves takes Shadow pensions role | News | Money Marketing
  25. ^ "'Don't turn back the clock for women'". The Guardian.
  26. ^ http://www.moneymarketing.co.uk/politics/miliband-promotes-rachel-reeves-to-shadow-cabinet/1039173.article
  27. ^ "'Transport Minister reacts to today's demand from 90 regional leaders for high-speed rail link'". Yorkshire Evening Post.
  28. ^ "'Minister 'shrugs off' Leeds MP's transport questions'". Yorkshire Evening Post.
  29. ^ "'Leeds: MP calls for end to railway station 'limbo". Yorkshire Evening Post.
  30. ^ "'Leeds West MP makes a splash for Bramley Baths'". Yorkshire Evening Post.
  31. ^ "'Oral Answers to Questions — Health'". They Work For.
  32. ^ "Building a Better Balanced UK Economy". IPPR.
  33. ^ "The Road to Copenhagen" (PDF). SERA.
  34. ^ "Do Financial Markets React to Bank of England Communication". European Journal of Political Economy.
  35. ^ "'The Politics of Deficit Reduction". Renewal.
  36. ^ "'Why Vote Labour' by Tony Wright". Amazon.
  37. ^ "Biteback Publishing 'Why Vote Labour' by Rachel Reeves". Biteback.
  38. ^ "'Rachel Reeves'". LabourList.
  39. ^ "'Progress Online'". Progress Online.
  40. ^ "'Contributer: Rachel Reeves'". Guardian.
  41. ^ "About". GooglePlus.
  42. ^ "Ellie Reeves". LabourList.
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