Summary
Eleanor Claire Reeves[2] (born 11 December 1980) is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Lewisham West and Penge since 2017.[3] A member of the Labour Party, she has served as Labour Party Deputy National Campaign Coordinator since 2023.[4] She previously served as Shadow Solicitor General for England and Wales from April 2020 to December 2021 and Shadow Minister for Prisons and Probation from 2021 to 2023.
Ellie Reeves | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2017 | |
| Labour Party Deputy National Campaign Coordinator | |
| Assumed office 4 September 2023 | |
| Leader | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Conor McGinn |
| Shadow Minister for Prisons and Probation | |
| In office 4 December 2021 – 5 September 2023 | |
| Leader | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Lyn Brown |
| Succeeded by | Ruth Cadbury |
| Shadow Solicitor General for England and Wales | |
| In office 9 April 2020 – 4 December 2021 | |
| Leader | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Nick Thomas-Symonds |
| Succeeded by | Andy Slaughter |
| Member of Parliament for Lewisham West and Penge | |
| Assumed office 8 June 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Dowd |
| Majority | 21,543 (41.3%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 December 1980[1] Beckenham, London, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Rachel Reeves (sister) |
| Alma mater | St Catherine's College, Oxford |
| Profession | Barrister |
| Website | Official website |
Early life and career edit
Eleanor Reeves was born in Lewisham, the daughter of teachers[5] Graham and Sally Reeves.[6][7] Her older sister, Rachel, is the Labour MP for Leeds West[8] and the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer under party leader Keir Starmer.
Reeves grew up in Sydenham and was educated at Adamsrill Primary School and Cator Park Secondary School.[9] She then studied law at St Catherine's College, Oxford, graduating with a bachelor's degree.[10]
Political career edit
Reeves joined the Labour Party at 15,[5] chaired the Oxford University Labour Club in 2001 and was National Chair of Labour Students from 2002 to 2003.
In 2006, she was first elected as a constituency party representative on Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC), supported by Progress and Labour First.[3] Reeves was returned to the governing body in subsequent elections, and served as Vice-Chair from 2015 to 2016,[11] until she was defeated by Momentum in 2016.[12] She later served as vice-chair of the London Labour Party.[13][14]
Reeves was selected as the Labour candidate for Lewisham West and Penge in April 2017, chosen over a left-wing Momentum activist.[15][3]
Parliamentary career edit
At the snap 2017 general election, Reeves was elected to Parliament as MP for Lewisham West and Penge, winning with 66.6% of the vote and a majority of 23,162.[16][17]
Reeves was appointed to the opposition front bench as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Kate Osamor, Shadow International Development Secretary, in March 2018.[18] On 13 June 2018, Reeves and five other MPs resigned as frontbenchers to vote in favour of remaining in the single market, defying the party whip.[19][20]
After signing a letter criticising the decision to re-admit Chris Williamson into Labour, Reeves was threatened with deselection by a party member in July 2019.[21] Following backlash, Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote that pregnant MPs would not face deselection and the member withdrew their plans to challenge her.[22]
At the 2019 general election, Reeves was re-elected as MP for Lewisham West and Penge with a decreased vote share of 61.2% and a decreased majority of 21,543.[23][24]
On 9 April 2020, Reeves was re-appointed to the opposition front bench as Shadow Solicitor General for England and Wales.[25]
She served as Labour's political lead for the 2021 Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election,[26] in which there was a 7.4% increase in the party's vote share and 10.2% swing from the Conservatives to Labour, however the Conservatives held the seat with a 20.6% majority.[27]
In the 2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle she joined the Shadow Cabinet as Labour Party Deputy National Campaign Coordinator.[28]
Reeves is a member of Labour Friends of Israel.[29]
Personal life edit
She is married to John Cryer MP, Parliamentary Labour Party Chair.[3] She had a son with him in 2015, and another in late 2019.[5]
References edit
- ^ "Members' Names Data Platform query". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ "No. 61961". The London Gazette. 19 June 2017. p. 11776.
- ^ a b c d "Former Labour official Ellie Reeves selected for safe seat in London". LabourList. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- ^ "Labour reshuffle live: Angela Rayner gets new role as Keir Starmer reshuffles team". BBC News. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
- ^ a b c Forrester, Kate (8 October 2017). "17 From '17: Ellie Reeves On Her Journey Into Politics At A Young Age". HuffPost. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
- ^ Whale, Sebastian (23 May 2020). "Rachel Reeves interview". politicshome. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- ^ Hello (13 September 2007). "The legal eagle who left sisters scuppered". Yorkshire Evening Post. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- ^ Rampen, Julia (26 April 2017). "How Labour's power-brokers will divide up the party's safe seats". New Statesman. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- ^ Little, Mandy (28 April 2017). "Ellie Reeves to fight for Lewisham West and Penge seat for Labour". London News Online. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- ^ "The Year 2017 – alumni magazine for St Catherine's College, Oxford" (PDF). Retrieved 18 February 2019.
- ^ Savage, Michael. "Hard left set for Labour power grab". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "Corbyn's Allies Run Rings Round Eddie Izzard". Sky News. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ Savage, Michael. "Hard left set for Labour power grab". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ Kenber, Billy. "Labour hopefuls aiming for Westminster". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "General election 2017: Key Corbyn allies not selected by Labour". BBC News. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "Lewisham West and Penge parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
- ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
- ^ Aweys, Suleega (3 March 2018). "Ellie Reeves MP for Lewisham West and Penge gets front bench promotion". East London Lines. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
- ^ Culbertson, Alix (14 June 2018). "Six Labour MPs quit frontbench roles over key Brexit vote". Sky News. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
- ^ Morris, Nigel (13 June 2018). "Six Labour frontbenchers resign in protest at Labour's Brexit position". i News. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
- ^ "EXCL Pregnant Labour MP facing deselection threat for signing Chris Williamson statement". Politics Home. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "Corbyn Blocks Activist's Bid To Oust Pregnant Labour MP". HuffPost UK. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "General election 2019". lewisham.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ Rodgers, Sienna (9 April 2020). "Shadow ministers appointed as Starmer completes frontbench". LabourList. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
- ^ Reeves, Ellie (31 October 2021). "As Labour's political lead on the Old Bexley & Sidcup by-election..." Twitter. Archived from the original on 31 October 2021.
- ^ "Conservatives hold seat in Old Bexley and Sidcup byelection". ITV News. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ "Labour reshuffle live: Angela Rayner gets new role as Keir Starmer reshuffles team". BBC News. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ "LFI Parliamentary Supporters". Labour Friends of Israel. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
External links edit
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou