Former Bank of England economist Rachel Reeves has made history as the UK’s first female chancellor. Alongside Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, she has worked tirelessly to change the party’s image among voters after its devastating defeat in the 2019 election.
Ms Reeves has been adamant about portraying Labour as fiscally responsible, stating that she would never “play fast and loose” with the nation’s finances. Her role has been instrumental in making Labour appear more credible to voters and providing reassurance to the business community after years of turmoil.
Born in 1979 in Lewisham, southeast London, to Graham and Sally Reeves, both teachers, Ms Reeves has always been driven and competitive. She is the older sister of Labour MP for Lewisham West and East Dulwich, Ellie Reeves, and is married to Nicholas Joicey, a civil servant and former speech writer for Gordon Brown. The couple has two children.
Ms Reeves and her sister were educated at Cator Park, an all-girls comprehensive school in Beckenham, which she credits for giving her the tools she needed to succeed. In an article for The Daily Telegraph in 2022, she revealed her dedication to her studies, even working on school projects during holidays to achieve top marks. She also shared her love for chess, which her father taught her at the age of seven, leading her to become the British girls under-14 champion.
Her competitive spirit has propelled her to the top of Labour’s ranks. Ms Reeves was first elected in 2010 for the seat of Leeds West, now Leeds West and Pudsey, and was appointed to her first shadow ministerial role in the Department for Work and Pensions that same year. In 2013, she was promoted to shadow work and pensions secretary, where she made headlines by vowing to be tougher than the Tories on welfare.
Ms Reeves has been compared to the late Baroness Thatcher for her ruthless approach to public spending. In her prestigious Mais lecture in the City of London, she invoked the Iron Lady and promised to oversee a “decade of national renewal,” a phrase used by the former Tory prime minister. She also stated that Britain is at an “inflection point,” similar to the one faced in the late 1970s.
Despite criticisms from some members of the party, Ms Reeves has stood by her stance of projecting an image of stability and caution in order to win over voters. She has also faced backlash for not providing enough information on Labour’s economic policies, but has remained committed to scrapping anti-trade union laws.
Critics have also dubbed her the “Wikipedia chancellor” or the “copy and paste chancellor” after she admitted to unintentionally copying sections of her book, The Women Who Made Modern Economics, from Wikipedia. However, Ms Reeves has assured that these errors will be corrected in future reprints.
With her determination and drive, Rachel Reeves has established herself as a crucial figure in the Labour party and continues to work towards a prosperous future for the UK.
