Jonathan Reynolds

Jonathan Neil Reynolds (born 28 August 1980) is a British Labour Co-op 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 Party, 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 to Keith and Judith Reynolds. He moved to Manchester in 1998, studying Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester and BPP Law School (Manchester). After leaving university Reynolds worked for the council and (former MP) James Purnell, before beginning training as a solicitor. Reynolds served on Labour's National Executive Committee from 2003 to 2005. In 2007, he was elected to Tameside Council for the ward of Longdendale.

Reynolds worked for four years as a political assistant for the previous Stalybridge and Hyde MP James Purnell and was selected to replace Purnell after a controversial selection process. 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)
After the Labour Party’s landslide victory in the 2024 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.

Personal life
Reynolds lives in Stalybridge. He and his wife Claire Johnston have four children; his eldest son is autistic. Outside politics, his interests include supporting Sunderland A.F.C., films and gardening.