British politician (born 1980)
Eleanor Claire Reeves, Baroness Cryer (born 11 December 1980), is a British barrister and politician who has served as Chair of the Labour Party and Minister without Portfolio since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party, she has served as the Member of Parliament for Lewisham West and East Dulwich, formerly Lewisham West and Penge, since 2017. She previously served as Shadow Solicitor General from April 2020 to December 2021 and Shadow Minister for Prisons and Probation from 2021 to 2023.
Early life and education.
Eleanor Reeves was born on 11 December 1980 in Lewisham, the daughter of teachers Graham and Sally Reeves. Her older sister, Rachel, is the Labour MP for Leeds West and Pudsey and the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Reeves grew up in Sydenham and was educated at Adamsrill Primary School and Cator Park Secondary School. She then studied law at St Catherine's College, Oxford, graduating with a bachelor's degree.
Political career.
Reeves joined the Labour Party at 15, chaired the Oxford University Labour Club in 2001 and was National Chair of Labour Students from 2002 to 2003.
In 2006, she was first elected as a constituency party representative on Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC), supported by Progress and Labour First. Reeves was returned to the governing body in subsequent elections, and served as Vice-Chair from 2015 to 2016, until she was defeated by Momentum in 2016. She later served as vice-chair of the London Labour Party.
Parliamentary career.
Reeves was selected as the Labour candidate for Lewisham West and Penge in April 2017, chosen over a left-wing Momentum activist.
At the snap 2017 general election, Reeves was elected to Parliament as MP for Lewisham West and Penge, with 66.6% of the vote and a majority of 23,162.
Reeves was appointed to the opposition front bench as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Kate Osamor, Shadow International Development Secretary, in March 2018. On 13 June 2018, Reeves and five other MPs resigned as frontbenchers to vote in favour of remaining in the single market, defying the party whip.
After signing a letter criticising the decision to re-admit Chris Williamson into Labour, Reeves was threatened with deselection by a party member in July 2019. Following backlash, Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote that pregnant MPs would not face deselection and the member withdrew their plans to challenge her.
At the 2019 general election, Reeves was re-elected as MP for Lewisham West and Penge with a decreased vote share of 61.2% and a decreased majority of 21,543.
On 9 April 2020, Reeves was re-appointed to the opposition front bench as Shadow Solicitor General for England and Wales.
She served as Labour's political lead for the 2021 Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election, in which there was a 7.4% increase in the party's vote share and 10.2% swing from the Conservatives to Labour, however the Conservatives held the seat with a 20.6% majority.
In the 2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle she joined the Shadow Cabinet as Labour Party Deputy National Campaign Coordinator.
Due to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, Reeves' constituency of Lewisham West and Penge was abolished, and replaced with Lewisham West and East Dulwich. At the 2024 general election, Reeves was elected to Parliament as MP for Lewisham West and East Dulwich with 59.1% of the vote and a majority of 18,397. 
Personal life.
Reeves is married to John Cryer, who was a Labour MP from 1997 to 2005 and from 2010 to 2024. Her husband was created a life peer in 2024 after standing down as an MP.
References.
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