Jonathan Reynolds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jonathan Reynolds
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Chief Whip of the House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury |
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| Assumed office 5 September 2025 |
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| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Alan Campbell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Business and Trade President of the Board of Trade |
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| In office 5 July 2024 – 5 September 2025 |
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| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Kemi Badenoch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Peter Kyle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of Parliament for Stalybridge and Hyde |
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| Assumed office 6 May 2010 |
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| Preceded by | James Purnell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Majority | 8,539 (22.9%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council for Longdendale | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 4 May 2007 – 5 May 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Peter Bibby | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Gillian Peet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 28 August 1980 Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom |
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| Political party | Labour Co-op | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Claire Reynolds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residences | Stalybridge, Greater Manchester | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Manchester BPP Law School |
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Jonathan Reynolds is a British politician. He was born on 28 August 1980. He is currently the Chief Whip of the House of Commons. He also serves as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury. He started these roles in September 2025.
Before this, he was the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. He held this important job from July 2024 to September 2025. He is a member of the Labour and Co-operative parties. Since 2010, he has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Stalybridge and Hyde. An MP is someone elected to represent a local area in the UK Parliament.
Contents
Who is Jonathan Reynolds?
Jonathan Reynolds is a well-known figure in British politics. He has held many different roles in government and in the opposition. He works to make life better for people in the UK. He focuses on areas like business, trade, and workers' rights.
Early Life and Education
Jonathan Reynolds grew up in Houghton-le-Spring, England. He was born on 28 August 1980. He went to Houghton Kepier Comprehensive School. Later, he studied at Sunderland City College. In 1998, he moved to Manchester. There, he studied politics and modern history at the University of Manchester. He also studied at BPP Law School. After university, he worked as a trainee at a law firm.
Starting in Local Politics
Before becoming an MP, Jonathan Reynolds was active in politics. From 2003 to 2005, he was part of Labour’s National Executive Committee. This committee helps guide the Labour Party. In 2007, he was elected to Tameside Council. He represented the Longdendale area as a local councillor.
He also worked for four years for the MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, James Purnell. Jonathan Reynolds was chosen to take over from Mr. Purnell. He is a member of the Co-operative Party. He is also part of Unite the Union, a large workers' union.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
In the 2010 general election, Jonathan Reynolds was elected as an MP. He won the seat for Stalybridge and Hyde. He received 39.6% of the votes. His majority was 2,744 votes. In 2011, he stopped being a local councillor. He chose not to claim councillor allowances after becoming an MP. In July 2013, he asked for the head of Tameside Hospital to step down.
Working for His Community
During his election campaign, Jonathan Reynolds focused on local issues. He wanted to improve town centres, especially Stalybridge. He also supported building the Mottram-Tintwistle Bypass. He pushed for more primary school places in Hyde. Better rail links in his area were also important to him. He also worked to improve Northern Hub rail services. He spoke out against cuts to policing in his constituency.
Roles in the Shadow Cabinet
When a political party is not in power, its leading members form a "Shadow Cabinet". They act as a government-in-waiting. Jonathan Reynolds held several important roles in the Shadow Cabinet.
Under Ed Miliband
When Ed Miliband was the leader of the Labour Party, Jonathan Reynolds was a Shadow Justice Whip. He later became Mr. Miliband's Parliamentary Private Secretary. He also served as a Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change. In this role, he focused on helping people struggling with high energy costs. He also promoted energy efficiency and solar energy. In the 2015 general election, he was re-elected. His vote share increased to 45%. His majority grew to 6,686 votes.
Under Jeremy Corbyn
After Jeremy Corbyn became Labour leader in September 2015, Jonathan Reynolds became a Shadow Minister for Transport. He was responsible for rail issues. In January 2016, he stepped down from this role. He said he could "best serve the party as a backbencher". A backbencher is an MP who does not hold a government or shadow government position. He supported Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour leadership election. After Mr. Corbyn was re-elected, Jonathan Reynolds returned to the front bench. He became the Shadow City Minister.
In December 2015, he introduced a special bill. This bill suggested a new way to run UK general elections. He also joined the BIS Select Committee in 2016. He questioned businessman Mike Ashley about working conditions at Sports Direct. He also talked about new economic ideas for the Labour Party. He supported policies to help industries grow. He also wanted to improve how UK stock markets work.
As Shadow City Minister, he supported a Brexit deal that would help financial services. He was seen as knowledgeable and popular in the financial world. In the 2017 general election, he was re-elected again. His vote share increased to 57.2%. His majority grew to 8,084 votes. Jonathan Reynolds is the Chair of Christians on the Left. He is also a vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel. He identifies as a Christian socialist.
In the 2019 general election, he was re-elected. His vote share was 44.7%. His majority was 2,946 votes. In January 2024, he attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He was also chosen again to be the Labour candidate for Stalybridge and Hyde in the 2024 general election.
Under Keir Starmer
After Keir Starmer became Labour leader in 2020, Jonathan Reynolds was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. In this role, he looked at problems with the Universal Credit system. Universal Credit is a payment for people on low incomes or out of work. He wanted to make sure it supported vulnerable people better. He also called for changes to other welfare benefits.
He often asked for an emergency budget. This would help deal with the economic effects of the pandemic. He also focused on long-term plans for pensions and social security. In September 2023, he became Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade.
He supported a balanced approach to the UK-EU relationship after Brexit. He said Labour would not rejoin the EU’s single market or customs union. Instead, he wanted a better trade deal with the EU. He believed that good talks could improve trade. This included making it easier for professionals to work in both the UK and EU.
He also supported an industrial strategy. This plan aimed to rebuild and make the economy greener. It involved smart investments and new rules. He wanted to make sure British workers benefited from green energy changes. He launched Labour’s industrial strategy. This plan aimed to fix problems like supply chain issues and skill shortages. It focused on getting clean power by 2030. He also supported a state-owned energy company.
Jonathan Reynolds was a strong supporter of the Green Prosperity Plan. This plan aimed to create a million new jobs. It would do this through green investments. He also spoke out about government energy policies. He criticized how prepayment meters were handled. He suggested stronger rules and more help for small businesses with high energy costs.
Serving as Business Secretary (2024-2025)
In the 2024 general election, Jonathan Reynolds was re-elected. His vote share was 43.8%. His majority increased to 8,539 votes.
After the Labour Party won the election, he was appointed Secretary of State for Business and Trade. He also became President of the Board of Trade. He held these roles until September 2025. As Business Secretary, he clarified his views on ID cards. He was sworn into the Privy Council on 10 July 2024. This title allows him to be called "The Right Honourable".
Supporting Workers' Rights
Jonathan Reynolds believed that flexible work laws could help reduce inequality. He also thought they could increase productivity. He criticized the previous government for its views on working from home. He supported increasing the minimum wage. He also wanted to ban zero-hours contracts. He aimed to stop companies from using "fire and re-hire" practices. These plans were part of Labour's Employment Rights Bill.
In September 2024, he criticized Amazon. The company had asked employees to return to the office five days a week. He defended employers who allowed staff to work from home. He said workers should be judged by their results, not by where they sit.
Boosting Investment and Trade
Jonathan Reynolds wrote in The Guardian about his plans. He wanted to open new markets for Britain. He aimed to help businesses grow internationally. He planned to remove certain business taxes. He also wanted to ensure small businesses were paid on time. He proposed a new National Wealth Fund. This fund would invest in new green industries. He also said the government would work with companies and unions. The goal was to build a stronger economy. He aimed for Britain to use clean energy by 2030.
He explained difficult government decisions about spending. He visited Saudi Arabia with Douglas Alexander. They met officials to discuss a new trade deal. This was part of the government's effort to boost economic growth. He said that "economic growth is this government's driving mission".
In September 2024, he expressed frustration about losing investment opportunities. He mentioned France and Spain. He planned to announce how Britain would attract global investment. This included a new "industrial strategy". He also announced the next chair of the Global Council.
Clarifying Past Work Experience
In February 2025, questions arose about Jonathan Reynolds' past work. His website and LinkedIn profile had stated he worked as a solicitor. In April 2014, he had also mentioned this in the House of Commons. He later officially corrected the record in Parliament. He apologized for an "administrative error" on his LinkedIn page. He also apologized for using a shorthand term in a speech from over ten years ago.
Helping British Steel
Jonathan Reynolds played a key role in helping British Steel. There were concerns that the company's Scunthorpe site might close. As Business Secretary, he took action. On 12 April 2025, he introduced the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act. This law gave the government powers to direct steelmaking operations. It also set penalties for not following the rules. This important law was passed quickly by Parliament.
Current Role: Chief Whip
In September 2025, Jonathan Reynolds was appointed Chief Whip of the House of Commons. He also became Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury. The Chief Whip is a very important role. They make sure that members of their political party vote together. They also help manage the party's business in Parliament. He replaced Alan Campbell in this role.
Personal Life
Jonathan Reynolds lives in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. His wife, Claire Reynolds, is a political director in Downing Street. She used to be the Chair of the Labour Women's Network. They have three children together. Jonathan Reynolds also has an eldest son from a previous relationship. His eldest son is autistic.
He is a member of the Fabian Society. Outside of politics, he enjoys supporting Sunderland A.F.C., watching films, and gardening.
