Who is Rachel Reeves before the 2022 Spring Declaration?

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves is leading Labor’s response to Rishi Sunak’s spring statement – but who is she and why is Keir Starmer not in charge?

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves is responding today to the forthcoming spring statement by Finance Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

The Sunak is facing enormous pressure with today’s announcement, with inflation on goods rising to 6.2% – the fastest increase in 30 years.

The cost of living crisis will be an important element of the statement, with tough Britons facing difficult times in connection with fears that inflation could double in numbers.

Historically known as the ‘mini-budget’, the Spring Declaration will reflect whether Mr Sunak understood the full extent of the financial challenges faced by so many British families, some of whom the Chancellor asked for help.

Labor is expected to give its thoughts on the statement and challenge the government in any area it feels is misplaced.

This job will fall on Rachel Reeves, but who is she?

Who is Rachel Reeves?

Rachel Reeves, 43, took over the position of Shadow Chancellor in 2021, taking over the role from Annelise Dodds, who was fired after just one year.

Rachel comes from Lewisham in south London, and was born to two teachers. As a child, she attended public school, where she became the UK Under 14 chess champion and joined the Labor Party at the age of 16.

She became a Member of Parliament for Leeds West in 2010 at the age of 31 and is now in the Commons of her sister, Ellie Reeves, and brother-in-law John Cryer – both Labor MPs.

With a degree from Oxford and an Economics Masters from the LSE, she joined the Bank of England after refusing to work with Goldman Sachs.

She said: “I believed in the public service, and I thought the Bank of England would be the best education for an economist.”

After her 2010 switch to the Commons to make her dream of public service a reality, Reeves ran the deficit into debt in an embarrassing television documentary clanger.

Ed Milliband’s support, however, did her good, as she quickly rose to the party hierarchy and was appointed Secretary of the Treasury after only 18 months in office.

After three years, she made it to the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary but the party’s left raged over people claiming benefits, saying: “We would be louder … If they did not take it [the offer of a job] they will lose their benefit. “

She added at the time: “If you can work, you should work, and under our mandatory job guarantee, if you refuse this job, you forgo your benefits, and that’s really important.”

After the 2015 election, her stock plummeted and after maternity leave did not return to enjoy a role in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet.

During her time on the bench, she headed the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, where she challenged the heads of big business like Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin and Mike Ashley of Sports Direct.

She supported Owen Smith and Jess Phillips for leadership in 2016 and 2020, both outspoken critics of Corbyn.

She made a simple transition to the Starmer’s shadow cabinet, where she went after Tory ‘Sleaze’ and Cronyism over Covid contracts.

Why is Keir Starmer not expected to respond to the Spring Declaration?

While the opposition leader – currently Keir Starmer – usually responds to the annual budget, it is more common for the chancellor’s opposite number, the Shadow Chancellor, to respond to most announcements.

This means that the opposition leader’s annual reaction to the budget is the exception and not the rule when it comes to giving the Cabinet an opinion on government policy.