Chief Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds has said Labour can hold onto Leave-voting seats across the Red Wall through “restoring hope”, as the party fights to stop Reform UK seizing swathes of heartland constituencies.
Ms Reynolds, who spoke to the Sunday Express days before Andy Burnham gives his first conference speech as Prime Minister at the Labour conference in Liverpool, described the battle as a personal fight. She was ousted as a Wolverhampton MP in Boris Johnson’s 2019 Get Brexit Done election, when much of the Red Wall turned Tory blue.
“One of the bricks was me,” she said.
A personal fight against Reform
Looking ahead to the election battle, which must take place no later than August 2029, the 48-year-old explained why she believes it is still possible for Labour to stop Brexit-voting constituencies turning Reform’s shade of teal.
Ms Reynolds said the Government, from the PM down, is committed to “restoring hope in those communities and driving growth and opportunities across the country, not just in some parts of the country”. She criticised Reform for “talking the country down”, arguing there are signs business confidence is rising.
Former Labour Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair wants Mr Burnham to put rejoining a more powerful European Union at the heart of his 10-year plan for government, but Ms Reynolds has no appetite for reopening the Brexit wars.
The MP, who now represents Wycombe, saw the split on Europe in her own family, where her mother was a “very, very big Remainer” while her father voted to Leave.
“I understand that there are people who want us to go back into Europe,” she said. “I think that will be very difficult, because you'd have to have the consent of the British people, and I, at the moment, really don't want to be spending my time reliving that experience of having a referendum, then having the whole conversation and discussion in Parliament about what to do about the referendum result.”
Budget focus on families and young people
Instead, she is focused on next month’s Budget, which comes amid fears of tax hikes, rising inflation and higher mortgage costs.
“We know that the cost of living is a real issue and it's the biggest priority for our government,” she said. “We want to raise living standards and help people with the cost of living.”
The focus of the October 28 Budget, she said, will be giving “breathing space to families”. She is adamant the Government is “not powerless” despite the impact of the Ukraine war and conflict in the Middle East.
A key concern is the plight of young people, nearly a million of whom were not in education, work or training in the three months to June. Asked if the “dream” of gaining a skill and getting a job which allows people to buy a home and start a family can be rescued, she said: “It definitely can be saved. But I have to say, I do think this younger generation do face big challenges that are bigger than I faced or my parents faced… The ratio between earnings and house prices keeps going up and up, so I do really feel for that generation, and our Government is very focused on delivering better opportunities for young people.”
She looks forward to the roll-out of the “youth jobs guarantee”, which means “if you're out of work for more than 18 months, you have a government-paid placement for six months”.
Armed forces and a ‘normal person’
Ms Reynolds also acknowledged the dismay felt by many Britons as they watch their town centres become derelict. “We know that high streets have been hollowed out in lots of parts of the country, particularly those sorts of areas that used to have more industry,” she said.
The Chief Secretary insisted the Government is committed to strengthening Britain’s armed forces. She works alongside Chancellor John Healey, who quit as Sir Keir Starmer’s Defence Secretary in protest at the underfunding of the military. Mr Burnham’s appointment of Mr Healey to the top Treasury role is, she said, a “statement of intent”.
“We stand by our NATO commitment, which is to reach 3.5% of GDP by 2035,” she said. “The defence of the realm and national security is the first duty of any government, and we live in a much more uncertain and dangerous world than we did when I first came into politics in 2010.”
Ms Reynolds admitted she “never imagined” she would hold the second most senior role in the Treasury. A turning point in her life came when the former comprehensive schoolgirl decided to apply to Oxford once she had received her A-Levels. “I know it sounds terrible, but we're not brought up to have that level of self-confidence, so I didn't apply to Oxford the first time,” she explained.
Despite the challenges of Government, she said she remains a “normal person”. The self-described “footy mum” watches her youngest son play football every Sunday. “There are two exceptions,” she said. “Labour Party Conference and Remembrance Sunday.”
