Emma Reynolds

Emma Elizabeth Reynolds (born 2 November 1977) is a British politician who has served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury since 2026. A member of the Labour Party, she previously served as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2025 to 2026. Reynolds has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wycombe since 2024, and was previously the MP for Wolverhampton North East from 2010 to 2019.

Born in Wolverhampton, Reynolds was educated at Codsall High School and Wulfrun College. She studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Wadham College, Oxford, and later set up her own lobbying business. After working as a political adviser, she was elected to the House of Commons in 2010. She served on the shadow frontbench under Ed Miliband from 2010 to 2015 and was briefly shadow housing secretary under Harriet Harman, before resigning after Jeremy Corbyn became party leader in 2015. She lost her seat at the 2019 general election and subsequently worked as a lobbyist for TheCityUK.

After returning to Parliament at the 2024 general election, Reynolds served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions and then Economic Secretary to the Treasury under Keir Starmer. In the 2025 cabinet reshuffle, Reynolds was promoted to cabinet as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. After Andy Burnham became Prime Minister in 2026, she was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Early life and education Reynolds was born on 2 November 1977. She was educated at Codsall High School in Codsall, Staffordshire, followed by Wulfrun College in nearby Wolverhampton. Reynolds studied at Wadham College, Oxford, where she read Politics, Philosophy and Economics. Her stepfather Kevin taught at Concord College, an independent boarding school set in the grounds of Acton Burnell Castle, near Shrewsbury.

Early career Reynolds set up a lobbying business in Brussels to help British companies that wished to influence EU laws.

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

First Parliamentary career

Election and early career (2010) 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.

Reynolds spoke in the House of Commons on Building Schools for the Future, free school meals, human trafficking, cuts to police numbers and Mental Health Services. Shortly after her election in 2010 Reynolds was also elected to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons.

Shadow frontbench (2010–2015) 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. 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. 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.

Later career and defeat (2015–2019)

Reynolds resigned as Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government following the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party. She later supported Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour Party leadership election.

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

Career outside Parliament (2019–2024) Following her departure from parliament in 2019, Reynolds was appointed as Managing Director of Public Affairs, Policy & Research at TheCityUK, a special interest group lobbying the UK Government on behalf of the financial sector. While working for TheCityUK, Reynolds lobbied the UK government to avoid placing China in the strictest category of rules for the registering foreign influence, but denied representing Chinese businesses or the Chinese government.

Return to Parliament

Election and junior ministerial career (2024–2025) On 19 November 2022, Reynolds was selected to be the Labour Party's Parliamentary candidate for Wycombe at the 2024 general election.

At the election, Reynolds was elected with a majority of 4,591 over the incumbent MP, former Conservative minister Steve Baker. She became the first Labour MP elected for the Wycombe constituency since 1950 as well as becoming the first female Labour MP for the constituency.

On 9 July 2024, Reynolds joined the government frontbench as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions and Parliamentary Secretary for the Treasury under Keir Starmer. On 14 January 2025, she was appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury, following the resignation of Tulip Siddiq.

Environment Secretary (2025–2026)

In the 2025 cabinet reshuffle, Reynolds was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

In December 2025, Reynolds announced the government's updated animal welfare strategy, including a ban on trail hunting, snare traps, and puppy farming, phaseout of farrowing crates for pigs and colony cages for egg-laying hens, and new humane slaughter standards for pigs and fish.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury (2026–present) On 20 July 2026, Reynolds was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury by Andy Burnham.

Personal life Reynolds enjoys running and used to play football. She also enjoys pubs and going to the cinema.

Reynolds married solicitor Richard Stevens in April 2016. They had their first son on 14 April 2017 and their second in May 2019.

Political positions Reynolds is former Treasurer of the All-Party Parliamentary China Group and Vice Chair for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs, as well as Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking.

Views on the European Union In an online article for the New Labour pressure group Progress in 2011, Reynolds said that "Britain's membership of the European Union is in our national interest".

In an 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. In the run-up to the 2016 EU referendum, Reynolds campaigned for Britain Stronger in Europe.

Honours On 10 September 2025, Reynolds was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council, entitling her to the honorific style The Right Honourable for life.