Jonathan Reynolds

Jonathan Neil Reynolds (born 28 August 1980) is a British politician who has served as Secretary of State for Business and Trade and President of the Board of Trade since July 2024. A member of the Labour and Co-operative parties, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Stalybridge and Hyde since 2010.

Reynolds served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition and a Shadow Energy and Climate Change Minister from 2013 to 2015. He was a Shadow Transport Minister from 2015 to 2016 and a Shadow Treasury Minister from 2016 until 2020. He was Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2020 to 2021, and has been a front bench representative on the Labour National Executive Committee since 2020.

Early life and career

Jonathan Reynolds was born on 28 August 1980 in Houghton-le-Spring in County Durham to Keith and Judith Reynolds. He was educated at Houghton Kepier Comprehensive School and Sunderland City College. He moved to Manchester in 1998, studying politics and modern history at the University of Manchester, and then studying at BPP Law School. After leaving university Reynolds worked as a trainee solicitor in the Manchester branch of the law firm Addleshaw Goddard, though never completed his solicitor training.

Before becoming an MP, Reynolds served on Labour’s National Executive Committee from 2003 to 2005. In 2007, he was elected to Tameside Council as the councillor for the Longdendale ward.

Reynolds worked for four years as a political assistant for the Stalybridge and Hyde MP James Purnell and was selected to replace Purnell after a controversial selection process."Powerbrokers fight for heart and soul of Labour Party as union row escalates"
The Times, 17 March 2010; accessed 16 May 2010. Reynolds is a member of the Co-operative Party and Unite the Union.

Parliamentary career

At the 2010 general election, Reynolds was elected as MP for Stalybridge and Hyde with 39.6% of the vote and a majority of 2,744. In 2011 Reynolds stood down as a councillor. Once elected as an MP he did not claim Councillor Allowances. In July 2013, Reynolds publicly called for the resignation of Tameside Hospital's Chief Executive, Christine Green.

During his campaign, Reynolds focused on local issues such as the redevelopment of town centres, particularly Stalybridge, the Mottram-Tintwistle Bypass, the need for more primary school places in Hyde, and improved rail links in his constituency. His commitment to addressing these local concerns resonated with voters and helped him secure the seat. He also supported improvements Northern Hub rail and also opposed policing cuts in his constituency.

Miliband shadow cabinet

Under Ed Miliband, Reynolds was appointed Shadow Justice and Constitutional Affairs Whip. He was later appointed Miliband's Parliamentary Private Secretary and Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change. As Shadow Energy Minister, he focused on fuel poverty, energy efficiency, and solar energy. At the 2015 general election, Reynolds was re-elected as MP for Stalybridge and Hyde with an increased vote share of 45% and an increased majority of 6,686.

Corbyn shadow cabinet

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. 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. He supported Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour leadership election. 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.

In December 2015, Reynolds introduced a Private Member's Bill which would have changed UK general elections from first-past-the-post to the additional-member system. Reynolds was appointed a member of the BIS Select Committee in 2016. He questioned Mike Ashley during the committee's inquiry into working practices at Sports Direct. In June 2016, Reynolds argued the Labour Party had not developed a credible "alternative economic model". He has argued in favour of an industrial policy and reforms to UK equity markets.

In his time as Shadow City Minister Reynolds spoke in support of a Brexit deal which is favourable to financial services. '' City A.M.'' Editor Christian May described him in November 2016 as "popular in the Square Mile and at home in the brief". At the snap 2017 general election, Reynolds was again re-elected with an increased vote share of 57.2% and an increased majority of 8,084. Reynolds is Chair of Christians on the Left, and also a vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel. Reynolds has identified as a Christian socialist.

At the 2019 general election, Reynolds was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 44.7% and a decreased majority of 2,946. Reynolds attended the 2024 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. In January 2024, Reynolds was re-selected as the Labour candidate for Stalybridge and Hyde at the 2024 general election.

Starmer shadow cabinet

Following the 2020 Labour Party leadership election, Keir Starmer appointed Reynolds as the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Reynolds addressed the failings of the Universal Credit system, which he argued did not adequately support vulnerable people while calling for reforming legacy benefits and improving the overall welfare system to ensure fair and dignified support for all recipients. He frequently called for an emergency budget to tackle the immediate economic impacts of the pandemic and focusing on the need for long-term planning in pensions and social security.

In September 2023, after a shadow cabinet reshuffle, he was appointed as Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade.

Reynolds advocated for a balanced approach to the UK-EU relationship since the Brexit referendum. He said that Labour would not seek to rejoin the EU’s single market or customs union, focusing instead on achieving a more favourable trade deal with the EU without reopening Brexit debates. He also said that he believed that political stability and good-faith negotiations were crucial for enhancing the trading relationship with the EU, aiming for practical improvements such as mutual recognition of professional qualifications and easier inter-company transfers.

Reynolds also supported an industrial strategy inspired by Bidenomics, focusing on re-industrialising and decarbonising the economy through strategic investments and regulatory changes which aimed to align domestic industrial policy with foreign trade policy, ensuring that the economic benefits of green transitions would be felt by British workers.

Reynolds focused on revitalising the country’s industrial strategy and addressing the economic challenges post-Brexit. Reynolds initiative was the launch of Labour’s industrial strategy, which aimed to tackle issues such as supply chain disruptions and workforce skills shortages, with an emphasis on delivering clean power and reducing carbon dependency by 2030 and leveraging for the launch of a state-owned energy company. Reynolds was a staunch advocate for the Green Prosperity Plan, which aimed to create a million new jobs through green investment which would guarantee economic benefits by achieving net zero emissions, including reduced energy costs and new jobs.

Reynolds was vocal about the inadequacies of government policy regarding energy regulation and criticised the government’s particularly handling of prepayment meter installations that adversely affected vulnerable customers. He proposed more stringent policies and better support for small businesses facing high energy costs. His relationship with key Labour frontbenchers, such as Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and advocacy for green energy underscored Labour’s commitment to creating a green economy.

Secretary of State for Business and Trade (2024–present)

Appointment

At the 2024 general election, Reynolds was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 43.8% and an increased majority of 8,539.

After the Labour Party’s landslide victory in the general election, Reynolds was appointed as Secretary of State for Business and Trade and President of the Board of Trade by the new Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the ensuing formation of the new government. In one of his first statements as Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds ruled out moving to ID cards, seemingly contradicting a previous statement where he left the option open. While the context was crime, this has been interpreted as setting out a traditionalist, anti-technology stance and has been contrasted with Sir Tony Blair's call to embrace modern technology in the interests of economic growth, including digital ID cards. Reynolds was sworn into the Privy Council on 10 July 2024, entitling him to be styled "The Right Honourable" for life.

Workers' rights

Reynolds said that flexible work laws could reduce regional inequality and increase productivity as he criticised the previous Conservative government for “declaring war on people working from home”. He also expressed support for increasing the minimum wage, plans to ban zero-hours contracts, and an end to policies of fire and re-hire as part of Labour's Employment Rights Bill, which was unveiled in July’s King’s Speech. On 19 September, Reynolds heavily criticised Amazon after it ordered employees back into office five days per week and defended employers who allowed workers to work from home, which included staff in his own government department. Reynolds insisted that workers be judged “by their output, not whether they are sat at a desk”. In an interview with ''The Times'', Reynolds attacked the previous government and former ministers for their "bizarre approach towards working from home and "declaring war" on those who did not return to the office.

Investment policy

In an article to ''The Guardian'', Reynolds said that plans will be put in place for opening new markets extending growth internationally for Britain by removing regressive business rates, time late payments for small businesses and position major institutions under the supervision of a new National Wealth Fund, which would invest in new green industries. Reynolds also affirmed that the government will be working alongside multination companies, regional councils, devolved governments and trade unions to "build a more resilient economy" with plans to transition Britain to clean energy by 2030. Following the controversial decision to scarp the winter fuel allowance from pensioners, Reynolds said that the government had "no choice" due to a £22 billion black hole in public finances and urged Labour MPs to back the issue. Reynolds alongside Douglas Alexander visited Saudi Arabia to meet officials on a new trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh which included United Arab Emirates. It came as a part of the government's attempts to boost economic growth and to drive investment within the country with Reynolds saying that “economic growth is this government’s driving mission and boosting trade and investment with some of the world’s biggest economies is crucial to that.”

According to the ''Financial Times'', Reynolds said that he was "sick" of losing potential investment opportunities to France and Spain. Reynolds stated that he would initiate plans on "how Britain intends to sell itself to the world" that would be presented before an international investment summit on 14 October with an "industrial strategy" that will draw new funds. Reynolds said that he would announce the next chair of the Global Council and that he would be working with “high calibre set of people”. Reynolds also acknowledged multiple that would needed to be managed despite generating progress with the collapse of the shipbuilding giant Harland & Wolff, the Grangemouth job deprivation and an "emergency situation" at British steel.

Legal credentials

In February 2025, Reynolds faced calls to resign over accusations that he falsely claimed to be a solicitor, as his website and LinkedIn profile had claimed that he worked as a solicitor before becoming an MP, and in April 2014, he had told the House of Commons "Before the last election, I worked as a solicitor in Manchester city centre". Following this, he officially corrected the record in Parliament and apologised for both the "administrative error" on his LinkedIn, flagged to him by the SRA, and for the use of shorthand in a speech "over a decade ago".

British Steel

Following following concerns about the Jingye Group attempting to shut down its Scunthorpe site by intentionally not purchasing supplies of raw material required to operate its blast furnaces, Reynolds played a key role in taking control of British Steel in his role as Business Secretary. On 12th April 2025, he laid before Parliament the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, granting the Secretary of State powers to direct steelmaking operations in England and setting out penalties for noncompliance. This was passed through both Houses of Parliament in a single extraordinary sitting that required the full recall of Parliament from recess on a Saturday.

Personal life

Reynolds lives in Stalybridge in Greater Manchester. His wife Claire, formerly Chair of the Labour Women's Network, is Keir Starmer's political director in Downing Street. He has four children, three with his wife Claire and one from a previous relationship; his eldest son is autistic. Outside politics, his interests include supporting Sunderland A.F.C., films, and gardening.

Notes

References

External links

Jonathan Reynolds MP
''official constituency website''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, Jonathan
1980 births
Living people
Alumni of BPP University
Alumni of the University of Manchester
Labour Co-operative MPs for English constituencies
UK MPs 2010–2015
UK MPs 2015–2017
UK MPs 2017–2019
UK MPs 2019–2024
UK MPs 2024–present
Politicians from Manchester
Presidents of the Board of Trade
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Stalybridge and Hyde
Labour Friends of Israel
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom