Rachel Reeves has become Britain's first ever female Chancellor after Labour's historic General Election win.
After 14 years as an MP in Opposition, she will now step into Government and is set to make history in the senior Cabinet role. The MP for Leeds West and Pudsey has served as Labour's Shadow Chancellor since May 2021 and has been a stable figure throughout Keir Starmer's journey to change the Labour party.
Not only has she made history as Chancellor but she and her younger sibling Ellie, who is Labour’s deputy campaign chief, are on the verge of becoming the first sisters to sit around the Cabinet table. “I think a few more girls from [comprehensive school] Cator Park and a few less boys from Eton in the Cabinet would be quite a good thing for our country,” Ms Reeves, 45, told the Mirror in an interview during the campaign.
Here's a rundown of who Rachel Reeves is and what she could bring to a Labour Government.
Life before being an MP
Throughout her teens Ms Reeves was already a standout figure, with top grades in her GCSEs and a profile as a dedicated chess champion. She went on to study the prestigious degree of PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) at Oxford University, a course taken by the most recent Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and ex-PM Liz Truss. She also completed a masters in economics at the London School of Economics.
The budding young star pursued a career in economics becoming an Bank of England economist and later working for HBOS for more than three years. At one point, she turned down a job at Goldman Sachs - a decision she says she does not regret.
Political career
In 2010, Ms Reeves was elected an MP for Leeds West. It was her third attempt at trying to get into Parliament. At this election, on July 4, she was re-elected in the now Leeds West and Pudsey constituency, after raking in a massive 18,976 votes.
Just five months after being elected in 2010 Ms Reeves was promoted to Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions under then Labour leader Ed Miliband. The following year she became Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury and in 2013 the Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions.
She became a backbencher during Jeremy Corbyn's tenure. Under Keir Starmer's leadership she became Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, before being appointed Shadow Chancellor in 2021.
Family life
Ms Reeves was born in 1979 in southeast London to teacher parents Graham and Sally, who split up when she was seven. She went to a comprehensive school in Beckenham - Cator Park - with her sister Ellie and would spend her school holidays with their grandpa and grandma at their council maisonette in Kettering.
Having been a Labour member since 1996, she has spoken of memories of her dad telling her to vote for the party when she was under the age of 10. She has also talked about her dad instilling a competitive spirit in her at a young age, with him never letting her win at chess.
Ms Reeves is married to a senior civil servant, Nick Joicey. The pair have two children, whom they try to keep out of the spotlight.
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The first Female Chancellor
What could Ms Reeves bring to a Labour Government? With the British economy in tatters, Ms Reeves has aimed to hammer home the message that Labour is fiscally responsible. The Tories fought a fierce campaign with attack lines focused on bold tax claims about a Labour Government.
But after the disastrous Liz Truss mini-budget, Ms Reeves persuaded the public that the nation's finances are safer with her than the Conservatives. She has pledged to "grow the economy so that we can improve living standards and have the money to invest in our public services".
While running a campaign on "fiscal responsibility", she will however face pressure from those within her party to loosen the purse strings. For instance, Labour has already been under fire after failing to pledge to reverse the two-child benefit cap.