Jonathan Reynolds

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Jonathan Reynolds

MP
Official portrait of Jonathan Reynolds MP crop 2.jpg
Official portrait, 2019
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Assumed office
6 April 2020
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byMargaret Greenwood
Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury
In office
8 October 2016 – 6 April 2020
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byRichard Burgon
Succeeded byPat McFadden
Shadow Minister of State for Rail
In office
14 September 2015 – 6 January 2016
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byLilian Greenwood
Succeeded byAndy McDonald
Shadow Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change
In office
7 October 2013 – 18 September 2015
LeaderEd Miliband
Member of Parliament
for Stalybridge and Hyde
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded byJames Purnell
Majority2,946 (6.9%)
Member of Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council
for Longdendale
In office
4 May 2007 – 5 May 2011
Preceded byPeter Bibby
Succeeded byGillian Peet
Personal details
BornHoughton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, England
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabour and Co-operative
Spouse(s)Claire Johnston
Children4
ResidenceStalybridge
Alma materUniversity of Manchester
BPP Law School
ProfessionSolicitor
Websitewww.jonathanreynolds.org.uk

Jonathan Neil Reynolds is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Stalybridge and Hyde since 2010.[1][2] He was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet by Keir Starmer in 2020 as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions,[3] and to the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party.

He is a former shadow energy minister, shadow transport minister, PPS to the Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury.[3]

Early life and career[]

Born in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear to Keith and Judith Reynolds, Jonathan Reynolds moved to Manchester in 1998. Reynolds studied Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester and BPP Law School (Manchester). After leaving university Reynolds worked for the council and (former MP) James Purnell, before beginning training as a solicitor.

In 2007, Reynolds was elected to Tameside Council for the ward of Longdendale.[4]

Reynolds served on Labour's National Executive Committee from 2003 to 2005.[5]

Reynolds worked for four years as a political assistant for the previous Stalybridge and Hyde MP James Purnell[6] and was selected to replace Purnell after a controversial selection process.[6]

Reynolds is a member of the Co-operative Party and Unite the Union.[7]

Parliamentary career[]

In the General Election of May 2010, Reynolds was elected as MP for Stalybridge and Hyde. In 2011 Reynolds stood down as councillor, the candidacy was taken up by Gill Peet[4] who was elected in his place. During this year Reynolds did not claim Councillor Allowances.[8]

Under Ed Miliband, Reynolds was appointed Shadow Justice and Constitutional Affairs Whip.[9] He was later appointed Miliband's Parliamentary Private Secretary[10] and Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change. As Shadow Energy Minister, he focused on fuel poverty, energy efficiency, and solar energy.[11]

After Jeremy Corbyn was elected to the leadership of the Labour Party in September 2015, Reynolds was made a Shadow Minister for Transport with responsibility for rail.[12][13] He resigned the position following Jeremy Corbyn's January 2016 reshuffle, saying he felt he could "best serve the party as a backbencher" and expressing his support for the sacked Pat McFadden.[12] He supported Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour Party (UK) leadership election.[14] Following the re-election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party, he was re-appointed to the shadow front bench as Shadow City Minister.[15]

Reynolds was appointed a member of the BIS Select Committee in 2016.[16] He questioned Mike Ashley during the committee's inquiry into working practices at Sports Direct.[17] Reynolds is the Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Manufacturing Group, Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Autism, and former Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Armed Forces.

He is Chair of Christians on the Left[18] and a vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel.[19][20] Between January and December 2018, Reynolds claimed £217,837 in expenses, comprising £140,296 on staffing, £5,291 on travel, £34,146 on accommodation, and £35,205 on office costs.[21]

Views[]

Reynolds previously argued the Labour Party had not developed a credible "alternative economic model".[22] He has argued in favour of an industrial policy and reforms to UK equity markets.[23]

In his time as Shadow City Minister, he has spoken in support of a Brexit deal which is favourable to financial services.[24] City A.M. Editor Christian May described him in November 2016 as "popular in the Square Mile and at home in the brief".[25]

Reynolds is an advocate of proportional representation.[26] In December 2015, he introduced a Private Member's Bill which would have changed UK general elections from the First Past the Post system, to the Additional Member System.[27]

He supports the idea of a Universal Basic Income[28] and the nationalisation of the UK rail networks.[29]

He has described himself as on the "moderate" wing of the Labour Party.[30]

Constituency[]

Reynolds has campaigned for the redevelopment of local town centres, particularly Stalybridge;[31] improved transport links, including the Mottram-Tintwistle Bypass, the proposed Transpennine Tunnel,[32] and Northern Hub improvement; for more primary school places in Hyde; and for further devolution to Greater Manchester.

He has opposed cuts to police and fire services in Tameside and Greater Manchester[33] and worked to improve local health services, including publicly calling for the resignation of Tameside Hospital's Chief Executive, Christine Green, in 2013.[34]

Personal life[]

Reynolds lives in Stalybridge.[35] He and his wife Claire have four children, of whom his eldest son is autistic.[36] Outside politics, his interests include supporting Sunderland A.F.C., films and gardening.[37][38]

References[]

  1. ^ News, Manchester Evening (7 May 2010). "Stalybridge and Hyde result". Manchester Evening News.
  2. ^ "Addleshaws trainee quits firm after becoming Labour MP". Centaur Media plc. The Lawyer. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2010. Jonathan Reynolds was returned for the solidly Labour Stalybridge and Hyde constituency on the edge of Manchester with a majority of 2,700.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Jonathan Reynolds – UK Parliament". Parliament.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council – Councillors for the Ward of Longdendale". tameside.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  5. ^ "Parliaments News - BBC News". BBC News.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "Powerbrokers fight for heart and soul of Labour Party as union row escalates", The Times, 17 March 2010; accessed 16 May 2010.
  7. ^ "Labour List". Politics. Labour List. 14 April 2010. Archived from the original on 19 December 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  8. ^ "TMBC Member Allowances 2011". Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  9. ^ Deerin, Chris (11 October 2010). "Shadow cabinet: junior appointments in full". Newstatesman.com. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  10. ^ "Ed Miliband gets a new PPS". LabourList. 16 April 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  11. ^ Lucy Woods (12 November 2014). "Labour continues energy reforms with energy efficiency priority". Clean Energy News. Retrieved 9 June 2017.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b "Shadow Rail Minister Quits After Reshuffle". Sky News. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  13. ^ Reynolds, Jonathan (17 September 2015). "Labour's Moderates Need to Understand Jeremy Corbyn". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  14. ^ Smith, Mikey; Bloom, Dan (20 July 2016). "Which MPs are nominating Owen Smith in the Labour leadership contest?". Mirror. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  15. ^ "Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has named BIS committee member Jonathan Reynolds as his new shadow City minister, filling a role left vacant by the promotion of Richard Burgon to shadow justice minister | City A.M". City A.M. 26 September 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  16. ^ "Jonathan Reynolds – UK Parliament". Parliament.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  17. ^ Ben Wright Group Business Editor (7 June 2016). "PR genius or weak boss? Will the real Mike Ashley please stand up". The Telegraph. Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  18. ^ "Chair". Christians on the Left. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  19. ^ "LFI Supporters In Parliament". Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  20. ^ Harpin, Lee (7 August 2019). "Dame Louise Ellman becomes new Labour Friends of Israel chair". Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  21. ^ Goodier, Michael; Williams, Jennifer (23 May 2019). "This is how much your MP is claiming in expenses". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019.
  22. ^ Deerin, Chris (4 January 2016). "If we want to build a new economy, we have to recognise not everyone can work for the NHS". Newstatesman.com. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  23. ^ Deerin, Chris (23 August 2016). "Want an economy that works for everyone? Here's how you get it". Newstatesman.com. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  24. ^ "Leaving the EU: Financial Services – Hansard Online". Hansard.parliament.uk. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  25. ^ "Editor's notes: Still in shock over Brexit? Get a grip | City A.M". City A.M. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  26. ^ Jon Stone (16 December 2015). "There's now strong support for changing the voting system to proportional representation, new polling finds". The Independent. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  27. ^ "Jonathan Reynolds MP tried to introduce proportional representation". Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  28. ^ Deerin, Chris (17 February 2016). "How I learnt to stop worrying and love Basic Income". Newstatesman.com. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  29. ^ Deerin, Chris (23 October 2015). "What's Labour's plan for the railways?". Newstatesman.com. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  30. ^ "Labour's Moderates Need to Understand Jeremy Corbyn | HuffPost UK". Huffingtonpost.co.uk. 17 September 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  31. ^ "Brighter future for Tameside 'bombsite' as demolition work begins on derelict Casablanca Health Club". Mancunian Matters. 18 February 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  32. ^ Chris Green (30 November 2015). "Trans-Pennine Tunnel: 18-mile Peak District road 'could pose psychological difficulties for drivers'". The Independent. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  33. ^ "Calls for Parliament to Debate Cuts in Greater Manchester". Jonathan Reynolds. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  34. ^ "Blog: Tameside Hospital moving forward". Jonathan Reynolds. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  35. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  36. ^ "Westminster Needs Its Men to Talk About Why Being a Dad Is a Big Part of Their Life | HuffPost UK". Huffingtonpost.co.uk. 19 November 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  37. ^ "Jonathan Reynolds MP talks about Autism Awareness". YouTube. 27 July 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  38. ^ "Sunderland AFC Ladies' WSL snub set to be raised in Parliament". www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk.

External links[]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
James Purnell 		Member of Parliament for Stalybridge and Hyde
2010–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Blair McDougall 		Young Labour representative
on the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party
2003–2007 		Succeeded by
Stephanie Peacock
Retrieved from ""