PPC Profile: Rachel Reeves

Full Name: Rachel Reeves

Age: 30

From: Lewisham, South London

PPC for: Leeds West

Selection Result: 96-88 (it was very close!)

Heroines and Heroes: Jennie Lee, Beatrice Webb, John Maynard Keynes

Interests: Swimming, walking, reading, campaigning

I’ve been a member of the Labour Party since:
1996. I joined when I was at school, but I remember back in 1987, my dad putting on the Six o’clock News and pointing out Neil Kinnock to my sister, Ellie, and me. He told us that was who we voted for, and we’ve both known we were Labour since then (I was eight and Ellie was six).

I was inspired to go into politics because:
Going to inner-city schools in the 1980s and 1990s I was struck by the lack of investment in education. When I was at primary school music lessons were really cut back and special needs teaching was stripped to the bone. When I was at secondary school there were never enough text books to go round, the school got really, really cold in the winter and because there was no money for new school buildings our sixth form was a pre-fab hut in the playground and the library was turned in to a classroom, so there was no where for sixth-formers to work during free periods. I just thought that lack of investment in our future was such a criminal waste of talent. I was lucky because my parents were really supportive and I had excellent teachers, but the general message seemed to me that the government was not really that bothered about our education and didn’t think that inner-city kids were worth the effort. I see now in Leeds West all the primary schools re-built and re-furbished. On the toughest estates there are state of the art schools and technology and so many more teachers and teaching assistants in the classrooms. In September we have two brand new schools opening – an academy and a Building Schools for the Future Community College. It is light years ahead of what I had when I was at school and I went in to politics to ensure that all young people get these opportunities.

My main policy interests are:
Economics and education.

Three things I think should be in the next Labour manifesto are:
1 – A Children’s Centre in every community.
2 – A package of life-long learning to allow people to re-train to meet the changing nature of jobs in the UK.
3 – An ‘Ideas Bank’ – with government and business money – to support entrepreneurs to turn business ideas in to reality – crucial for building a high-tech, green economy.

I think people should vote for me because:
I will work tirelessly for local people – on housing, anti-social behaviour, for better schools and health facilities. As well as case work I will use my understanding of my community to influence policy so that we have more affordable and social housing, wrap around care at school and better vocational education to ensure that everyone in West Leeds has the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential. I love Leeds West – Kirkstall Abbey, the summer festivals and fun-days, the close-knit communities, the fantastic community groups and social enterprises, great businesses and the passionate people. As the MP I would stand up for local people and take their causes and challenges to Westminster.