Rachel Reeves
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Rachel Reeves
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Rachel Reeves is a British Labour politician who became the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2024, following Labour's general election win. Born in 1979 in Lewisham, London, she studied PPE at Oxford and earned a master’s in economics from the LSE. Before entering politics, she worked as an economist at the Bank of England and HBOS. Reeves has been the MP for Leeds West (now Leeds West and Pudsey) since 2010, holding several key shadow cabinet roles before being appointed Shadow Chancellor in 2021. As Chancellor, she introduced major tax reforms, public sector pay increases, and a National Wealth Fund, while also making some controversial cuts. She is married with two children, and her sister, Ellie Reeves, is also a Labour MP. In 2023, she faced criticism over plagiarism in her book on women economists, with her publisher promising corrections.
Reeves Refuses 'Buy British' Campaign Amid Trump Tariffs
- Tuesday, 08 April 2025

Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, has refused to support a "buy British" campaign in response to Donald Trump’s tariffs on UK goods entering the US. She warned against the UK becoming "inward looking" and suggested it could be a barrier to trade. The Chancellor also expressed concerns about the impact of the tariffs on living standards and communities, but did not commit to launching a "buy British" campaign as part of a national effort.