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Emma Reynolds
British Labour politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Emma Elizabeth Reynolds (born 2 November 1977) is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister since January 2025.[1] She was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Wycombe in 2024, and was previously the MP for Wolverhampton North East between 2010 and 2019.
Between losing her seat in 2019 and returning to Parliament in 2024, Reynolds worked as a lobbyist for TheCityUK, an advocacy group representing the interests of the financial sector.[2] She also set up her own lobbying business before becoming an MP.[3]
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Early life and career
Reynolds was born on 2 November 1977.[4][5][unreliable source?] She was educated at Codsall High School in Codsall, Staffordshire, followed by Wulfrun College in nearby Wolverhampton. Reynolds studied at Wadham College at the University of Oxford, where she read Politics, Philosophy and Economics.[6] Her stepfather Kevin taught at Concord College, an independent boarding school set in the grounds of Acton Burnell Castle, near Shrewsbury.
Reynolds set up a lobbying business in Brussels to help British companies that wished to influence EU laws.[7]
From 2001 to 2004, Reynolds worked in Brussels as a political adviser to Robin Cook, then President of the Party of European Socialists.[8] She later worked in Downing Street and the House of Commons[9] as a special advisor to then Minister for Europe and Government Chief Whip Geoff Hoon.[6]
In January 2009, Reynolds joined commercial public affairs consultancy Cogitamus, which gives advice to companies.[10]
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Parliamentary career
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Reynolds was selected as the Labour candidate for the 2010 general election for Wolverhampton North East in September 2008. Despite a 9% swing to the Conservatives and a reduction in majority of more than 6,000, she held the seat for Labour.[6][11][12]
Reynolds spoke in the House of Commons on Building Schools for the Future, free school meals, human trafficking, cuts to police numbers and Mental Health Services.[13] Shortly after her election in 2010 Reynolds was also elected to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons.
In October 2010, Reynolds was promoted by Labour's new leader, Ed Miliband, to the opposition frontbench as a shadow junior Foreign Office Minister under the then Shadow Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper.[14] After the resignation of the Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson and resulting mini-reshuffle of posts, Reynolds continued working in her post under the new Shadow Foreign Secretary, Douglas Alexander.[15] In October 2011, Emma Reynolds was promoted by Labour leader, Ed Miliband, to the position of Shadow Europe Minister. In October 2013, Reynolds was promoted by Ed Miliband to the position of Shadow Housing Minister, replacing Jack Dromey. In May 2015, after the 2015 general election, Reynolds was promoted to the position of Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary by acting leader of the Labour Party Harriet Harman, following the resignation of Ed Miliband.
Reynolds is former Treasurer of the All-Party Parliamentary China Group[16] and Vice Chair for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs,[17] as well as Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking.
Reynolds resigned as Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government following the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party.[18] She later supported Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour Party leadership election.[19]
She was defeated in the 2019 election by the Conservatives' Jane Stevenson.[20]
Views on the European Union
In an online article for the New Labour pressure group Progress in 2011, Reynolds asserted that "Britain's membership of the European Union is in our national interest".[21]
In an October 2012 interview with the Total Politics website, Reynolds called for the eurozone countries to integrate more closely. She also said she had differing opinions with Jon Cruddas, Labour's policy review chief, on whether having a referendum on the EU was a priority.[22] In the run-up to the 2016 EU referendum, Reynolds campaigned for Britain Stronger in Europe.[23]
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Post-parliamentary career
Following her departure from parliament in 2019, Reynolds was appointed as Managing Director of Public Affairs, Policy & Research at TheCityUK, a special interest group lobbying the UK Government on behalf of the financial sector.[24] While working for TheCityUK, Reynolds lobbied the UK government to avoid placing China in the strictest category of rules for the registering foreign influence,[25][26] but denied representing Chinese businesses or the Chinese government.[27]
Return to Parliament
On 19 November 2022, Reynolds was selected to be the Labour Party's Parliamentary candidate for Wycombe at the 2024 general election.[28][29]
At the election, Reynolds was elected with a majority of 4,591 over the incumbent MP, former Conservative minister Steve Baker.[30] She became the first Labour MP elected for the Wycombe constituency since 1950 as well as becoming the first female Labour MP for the constituency.
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Personal life
Reynolds enjoys running and used to play football. She also enjoys pubs and going to the cinema.[31]
Reynolds married solicitor Richard Stevens in April 2016.[32] They had their first son on 14 April 2017[33] and their second in May 2019.
References
External links
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