Emma Reynolds

Emma Elizabeth Reynolds (born 2 November 1977)[1] is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wolverhampton North East from the 2010 general election[2] until her defeat at the 2019 general election by Conservative Party candidate Jane Stevenson.

For the African American physician, see Emma Ann Reynolds.

Emma Reynolds
Reynold in 2017
Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
In office
11 May 2015 – 12 September 2015
LeaderHarriet Harman (Acting)
Preceded byHilary Benn
Succeeded byJon Trickett
Shadow Minister for Housing
In office
7 October 2013 – 11 May 2015
LeaderEd Miliband
Preceded byJack Dromey
Succeeded byRoberta Blackman-Woods
Shadow Minister for Europe
In office
7 October 2011 – 7 October 2013
LeaderEd Miliband
Preceded byWayne David
Succeeded byGareth Thomas
Member of Parliament
for Wolverhampton North East
In office
6 May 2010 – 6 November 2019
Preceded byKen Purchase
Succeeded byJane Stevenson
Personal details
Born (1977-11-02) 2 November 1977
Wolverhampton, England
Political partyLabour
Spouse(s)Richard Stevens
ChildrenTwo
Alma materWadham College, Oxford
WebsiteOfficial website

Reynolds was the Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government from May to September 2015 under Harriet Harman.

Early life and career

Reynolds was educated at Codsall High School in Staffordshire, near Wolverhampton, followed by Wulfrun Further Education College. She studied at Wadham College at the University of Oxford, where she read Politics, Philosophy and Economics.[3] Her step father Kevin taught at Concord College, a boarding independent 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.[4]

From 2001 to 2004, Reynolds worked in Brussels as a political adviser to Robin Cook then President of the Party of European Socialists.[5] She later worked in Downing Street and the House of Commons[6] as a special advisor to then Minister for Europe and Labour Chief Whip Geoff Hoon.[3]

In January 2009, Reynolds joined commercial public affairs consultancy Cogitamus, which gives advice to companies.[7]

Parliamentary career

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.[3][8]

Reynolds has spoken on many issues in the House of Commons since being elected including questions on Building Schools for the Future, free school meals, human trafficking, cuts to police numbers and Mental Health Services.[9] In the summer of 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.[10] 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.[11] 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[12] and Vice Chair for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs,[13] 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.[14] She later supported Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour Party leadership election.[15]

She was defeated in the 2019 election by the Conservatives' Jane Stevenson.[16]

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".[17]

In a 1 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.[18] During the 2016 EU referendum Reynolds campaigned for Britain Stronger in Europe and voted to remain. She voted against all 4 withdrawal agreements in parliament, despite her constituency voting 67.71% to leave the EU, and voted in favour of the 'Benn Act'.

Post-parliamentary career

Following her departure from parliament, Reynolds was appointed as Managing Director of Public Affairs, Policy & Research at TheCityUK.[19]

Personal life

Reynolds participates in sports such as running and used to play football. She also enjoys pubs and going to the cinema.[20]

Reynolds married solicitor Richard Stevens in April 2016.[21] They had a son on 14 April 2017.[22] They had a second son in May 2019.

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References
  1. "Emma Reynolds MP". myparliament.info. MyParliament. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  2. "Meet the new MPs: watch video interviews with the new intake at Westminster". Sky News. Archived from the original on 18 July 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  3. Staff writer (29 September 2008). "Labour candidate selected". Express & Star. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  4. Reynolds, Emma. "Biography". emmareynolds.org.uk. Emma Reynolds. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  5. "Emma Reynolds MP". parliamentaryrecord.com. Westminster Parliamentary Record. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  6. "Emma Reynolds: biography". politics.co.uk. politics.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  7. Staff writer (14 January 2009). "Labour candidate takes Cogitamus role". Public Affairs News. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  8. Dunn, Ray (7 May 2010). "General Election 2010: Full Midland results and stats". Birmingham Mail. Archived from the original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  9. "Emma Reynolds". theyworkforyou.com. TheyWorkForYou. Archived from the original on 14 June 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  10. "Ed Miliband's shadow cabinet and ministerial teams". BBC News. 12 October 2010. Archived from the original on 13 October 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
  11. "Alan Johnson 'to quit front-line politics'". BBC News. 20 January 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  12. "Register Of All-Party Groups as at 14 October 2012 : China". parliament.uk. House of Commons. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  13. "Register Of All-Party Groups as at 30 July 2015 : Sikhs". parliament.uk. House of Commons. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  14. Staff writer (12 September 2015). "WATCH: Black Country MP Tom Watson named deputy leader of Labour Party – while Wolverhampton MP Emma Reynolds resigns from shadow cabinet". Express & Star. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  15. Smith, Mikey; Bloom, Dan (20 July 2016). "Which MPs are nominating Owen Smith in the Labour leadership contest?". Mirror. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  16. https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14001049
  17. Reynolds, Emma (6 October 2011). "David Cameron's eurosceptic containment strategy is failing". progressonline.org.uk. Progress. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
  18. Staff writer (1 October 2012). "TP JRF coffee club interview: Emma Reynolds". Total Politics. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  19. "TheCityUK appoints former MP to head up Public Affairs, Policy & Research". TheCityUK. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  20. Brar, Gurpreet (16 October 2009). "Breaking politics and political news for Westminster and the UK - PoliticsHome.com". PoliticsHome. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  21. "Love is in the air: Wolverhampton MP ties the knot". Express & Star. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  22. "'I campaigned with a newborn,' says Labour's Emma Reynolds". BBC News. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Ken Purchase		 Member of Parliament
for Wolverhampton North East
2010–present		 Succeeded by
Jane Stevenson
Political offices
Preceded by
Wayne David		 Shadow Minister for Europe
2011–2013		 Succeeded by
Gareth Thomas
Preceded by
Jack Dromey		 Shadow Minister for Housing
2013–2015		 Succeeded by
Roberta Blackman-Woods
Preceded by
Hilary Benn		 Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
2015		 Succeeded by
Jon Trickett
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