Emma Reynolds is the Labour MP for Wycombe, having returned to parliament at the 2024 general election. She previously served as the MP for Wolverhampton North East from 2010 until 2019.

In the 2024 general election for the Wycombe constituency, Reynolds received 16,035 votes, representing 35.9% of the vote share. The Conservative candidate, Steve Baker, came second with 11,444 votes (25.6%), while the Reform UK candidate, Richard Phoenix, secured 4,769 votes (10.7%). Reynolds was duly elected with a majority of 4,591.

The Wycombe constituency is located in Buckinghamshire.

Historically, Wycombe has been held by the Conservative Party for most of the period since 1885. Reynolds’ victory in 2024 marked the first time Labour won the seat since 1945.

Reynolds’ immediate predecessor as the MP for Wycombe was Steve Baker, the Conservative politician and self-styled “Brexit hardman”.

Political Career

Reynolds currently serves as chief secretary to the Treasury. She was appointed to this role in July 2026, following the Labour leadership contest and Andy Burnham’s elevation as prime minister.

Reynolds previously served as secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs (2025-2026) and economic secretary to the Treasury (2025). In the latter role, she succeeded Tulip Siddiq.

Following the 2024 general election, which saw Labour returned to power after 14 years in opposition, Reynolds was initially appointed to two junior ministerial posts. She was parliamentary secretary at HM Treasury and parliamentary under-secretary of state for pensions at the Department for Work and Pensions from July 2024 to January 2025

During her previous stint in parliament, Reynolds held a series of frontbench posts. She served as shadow secretary of state for communities and local government from May to September 2015, before stepping down upon Jeremy Corbyn’s election as Labour leader.

In a statement at the time, Reynolds said: “Congratulations to [Corbyn] – he needs space to build his own team. I will serve our party and my constituents from backbenches.”

During the 2015 Labour leadership campaign, Reynolds criticised those Labour MPs who nominated Corbyn to broaden the debate as “self-indulgent”. “There are lots of us who are still pretty angry with people who should know better”, she told MailOnline.

In June 2016, following the mass shadow ministerial exodus in protest at Corbyn’s leadership, Reynolds said Corbyn was “not capable” of leading Labour to a general election. She called on Corbyn to “stand down” as Labour leader.

In July 2026, Reynolds wrote to the head of the Electoral Commission asking the body to consider if Momentum, a Corbynite pressure group, had broken any rules by “failing to declare the donations it has received to date”.

Reynolds later called on Corbyn to stand down if he did not win the 2017 general election. “I think any leader who loses an election should leave”, she said.

Reynolds previously served as shadow housing minister (2013-2015) and shadow minister for Europe (2011-2013), having initially joined the shadow foreign affairs team in 2010.

Reynolds has sat as a member of the House of Commons future relationship with the European Union committee (2016-2019), the health and social care committee (2015-2016) and the foreign affairs committee (2010).

Reynolds lost her Wolverhampton North East seat at the 2019 general election. Jane Stevenson, the Conservative candidate, secured 17,722 votes (51.7%) and a majority of 4,080 over Reynolds in second place.

Reynolds blamed Corbyn for her defeat.

She told the Guardian: “We couldn’t use the argument that Jeremy Corbyn wasn’t going to win this time. We used that in 2017 but people didn’t believe it now.

“Incredibly I spoke to people who wanted a change but the change was they didn’t want to vote Labour any more. The fact we didn’t provide a credible alternative is a betrayal of the people we traditionally represent.”

Reynolds delivered her House of Commons maiden speech on 2 June 2010 during a debate on education and health.

In it, she said: “Public services are central to a strong economy and a strong society. I am proud of the previous Labour government’s achievements in health and education.”

She added: “I now hope to give something back to the good people of Wolverhampton, who are our city’s biggest asset. They are friendly, hard-working and fair-minded, and I promise to fight their corner to the very best of my abilities in Parliament, championing local industry and speaking up for greater equality and fairness.”

Political Views

Leadership elections and loyalty

Labour deputy leadership 2025: Reynolds was one of 175 Labour MPs who nominated Bridget Phillipson for the party’s deputy leadership in September 2025. The election followed the resignation of Angela Rayner, who stepped down as deputy prime minister and deputy party leader after an investigation into her tax affairs. It marked the first time since 2007 that Labour had held a deputy leadership contest while in government.

Phillipson, the serving education secretary, was widely viewed as the candidate favoured by Downing Street and the party leadership. She secured 175 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), comfortably exceeding the 80 required to reach the final ballot. She was ultimately defeated by Lucy Powell.

Labour leadership 2015: Reynolds was one of 41 Labour MPs who nominated Liz Kendall for the party’s leadership in June 2015. The election followed the resignation of Ed Miliband after the party’s defeat in the 2015 general election. It was the first contest held under the “one member, one vote” system, which replaced the previous electoral college.

Kendall, the shadow minister for care and older people, was viewed as the “Blairite” candidate in the race. She secured 41 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), exceeding the 35 required to reach the final ballot. She ultimately finished fourth in the contest with 4.5% of the vote.

Corbyn loyalty list: In March 2016, Reynolds was labelled as “hostile group” by the Corbyn leadership in a leaked list which categorised Labour MPs by their perceived loyalty. This label suggested the Corbyn leadership viewed Reynolds as actively and openly antagonistic.

Labour leadership 2016: Reynolds supported Angela Eagle for the party’s leadership in July 2016. The election was triggered by a challenge to Jeremy Corbyn following the EU referendum, which led to a wave of shadow cabinet resignations and a vote of no confidence supported by 172 MPs.

Eagle, the former shadow first secretary of state, was the first to formally launch a challenge against Corbyn. However, she withdrew from the race on 19 July after attracting fewer nominations than Owen Smith. Corbyn was ultimately re-elected with an increased mandate of 61.8% of the vote.

Reynolds went on to support Smith’s candidacy. Smith, the former shadow work and pensions secretary, was ultimately defeated by Corbyn, who won with an increased mandate of 61.8% of the vote.

Labour leadership 2010: Reynolds was one of 63 Labour MPs who nominated Ed Miliband for the party’s leadership in May 2010. The election followed the resignation of Gordon Brown, who stepped down as prime minister and Labour leader after the 2010 general election.

Miliband, the former energy and climate change secretary, was seen as the candidate of the “soft left” and secured significant backing from affiliated trade unions. He secured 63 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), exceeding the 33 required to reach the final ballot. Miliband went on to narrowly defeat his brother, David, in the final round by 50.7% to 49.3%.

Factional identity and party tradition

Compass: Reynolds was endorsed by local groups of the cross-party organisation Compass during the 2024 general election. Compass is a thinktank and campaign group. As part of its “Win as One” campaign in the 2024 election, local Compass groups backed a slate of progressive candidates who had pledged their support for electoral reform. The central aim of the initiative was to elect a “caucus” of MPs who would champion the cause of replacing the first past the post (FPTP) electoral system.

Brexit and Europe

Brexit referendum: Reynolds supported Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and therefore disagreed with a majority of her constituents, 67.7% of whom voted to Leave.

Article 50: In February 2017, Reynolds voted in favour of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill. The legislation empowered the prime minister to notify the Council of the European Union of the UK’s intention to withdraw, formally triggering the process set out in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. MPs supported the bill by 498 votes to 114 at second reading.

Welfare

Welfare vote (July 2025): Reynolds voted in favour of the government’s flagship welfare bill at second reading. The vote came after ministers agreed to significant concessions to avoid defeat via a mass rebellion of Labour MPs on 1 July 2025.

Assisted dying

Reynolds voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, better known as the assisted dying bill, at second reading (November 2024) and third reading (June 2025).

Social values and conscience issues

Same-sex marriage (2013): In February 2013, Reynolds voted in favour of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill at its second reading. The landmark piece of legislation, which received its second reading by 400 votes to 175, legalised marriage for same-sex couples in England and Wales.

Foreign policy and security

Syria airstrikes (2015): Reynolds voted in favour of a government motion to extend UK airstrikes against Isis from Iraq into Syria in December 2015. The motion, which was passed by 397 votes to 223 after a 10-hour debate in the House of Commons, authorised the RAF to conduct strikes against Isis targets in Syria.

Palestine

Palestinian recognition vote (2014): In October 2014, Reynolds was one of 192 Labour MPs who voted in favour of recognising Palestine as a state. The motion, passed by 274 votes to 12, called on the government to “recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel as a contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution”.

Before Politics

Born on 2 November 1977 in Wolverhampton, Reynolds was educated at Codsall High School and Wulfrun College.

She attended Wadham College, Oxford, where she studied politics, philosophy and economics (PPE).

Following her studies, Reynolds established a lobbying business in Brussels to assist British companies wishing to influence EU legislation. From 2001 to 2004, she worked in Brussels as a political adviser to Robin Cook in his capacity as president of the Party of European Socialists.

Reynolds then worked as a special adviser to the then minister for Europe and government chief whip, Geoff Hoon.

During her time outside of parliament between 2019 and 2024, Reynolds was appointed managing director of public affairs, policy and research at TheCityUK, a lobbying group representing the financial sector.

Personal Life

Reynolds married Richard Stevens, a solicitor, in April 2016. They have two sons.

Her stepfather, Kevin, worked as a teacher at Concord College near Shrewsbury.

Reynolds is a governor of The Ditchley Foundation.

Trivia

Reynolds speaks French and, to a lesser extent, Spanish and Italian.

Reynolds is the first woman to represent the seat of Wycombe in parliament.