Everything We Know About Rachel Reeves' Family

Graziadaily

3 days ago

The chancellor Rachel Reeves made headlines this week after she broke down in tears during a heated exchange in Prime Minister's Questions (PMQ's) in the House of Commons.
Throughout the session, conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Reeves looked 'absolutely miserable' and described her as Prime Minister Keir Starmer's 'human shield.' In the fiery exchange, Starmer refused to say whether Reeves would remain in her job until the next election in front of MPs in the Commons, while Reeves appeared to wipe away tears behind him.
After PMQs, Reeves' spokesperson said she had been dealing with a 'personal matter' and Starmer said her tears had had 'nothing to do with politics.'
One person by Reeves side throughout the ordeal was her sister, Ellie Reeves, who is also a Labour minister. Ellie appeared to comfort Reeves by holding her hand as she left the Common's Chamber.
Rachel Reeves' sister is Ellie Reeves, the MP for Lewisham West and East Dulwich. Ellie, who is two years younger than Rachel, was elected as MP of Lewisham West & Penge in 2017. Rachel and Ellie come from a public service background - their father was a teacher and their mother worked as a social worker.
Ellie studied law at St Catherine's College Oxford, where she chaired the Oxford University Labor Club in 2001 and was National Chair of Labour Students from 2002 to 2003.
The siblings always had a strong interest in politics. While at Cator Park School for Girls, in Beckenham, Rachel decided to run in a mock election, and Ellie was her campaign manager.
In an interview with The Independent, Ellie outlined how the pair had always supported each other's careers, even as children. 'I can remember the 1992 general election, and we were at school, and they had a mock election,' she told the outlet. 'Rachel put herself forward for this mock election, and I was her campaign manager... She put me in charge of the leaflets, stickers and things like that to give out.'
Rachel and Ellie elaborated on their relationship in a joint interview with The New Statesman. Ellie quipped that Rachel could be like 'a pushy parent' who encouraged her to do her homework on time, but maintained the siblings are strongly supportive of each other.
'Rachel's work ethic is something that I hugely admire, and her loyalty,' Ellie said. 'Her schedule is really demanding but she still makes time for her friends and family. She has always pushed me and supported me in whatever I have wanted to do.'
Yes, Rachel Reeves is married to Nicholas Joicey, who has had a long career in the civil service after starting out as a journalist for the Observer newspaper. In July 2023, he was appointed Defra Group Chief Operating Officer and Second Permanent Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He also worked as Gordon Brown's speechwriter when Brown was Chancellor.
In an interview with The Guardian, Reeves was asked how she balances work and family life. 'We manage it. The reason we're where we are in south-east London is because we're near my parents, and we do get help,' she said.
Yes, Rachel Reeves has two children, a son and a daughter. Reeves announced her first pregnancy in 2012, and gave birth to a daughter called Anna. Rachel and Nicholas welcomed their second child - a son called Harold born in 2015.
In her general election campaign speech in May, Reeves remembered how her mother's attitude to finances inspired her own economic policies. She explained how her mother sat at the kitchen table 'combing over, line by line, her bank statements and her receipts.' She added: 'Every penny mattered... The basic test for whoever is chancellor is to bring that attitude to the public finances.'