Rachel Reeves: Who is UK chancellor as she tables the budget, how much she earns, family, who is her sister MP

Born in 1979 in Lewisham, London, the 45-year-old became the MP of the Leeds West and Pudsey, formerly Leeds West, in 2010 at the age of 31.

Raised by teachers Graham and Sally Reeves, she attended a comprehensive school in London before studying at Oxford University and the London School of Economics. Her younger sister, Ellie Reeves, 43, is also in politics as the Labour MP for Lewisham West and East Dulwich, making the two sisters one of the most influential sibling duos in UK politics.

Ahead of the historic Budget announcement, Ellie posted a photo of herself with Rachel on X, writing, “First ever Budget delivered by a female chancellor, my sister.

Reeves’ husband, Nicholas Joicey, is a senior civil servant with a reported salary of £110,000, and Reeves herself earns £163,891 annually as Chancellor, which includes her MP salary of £91,346. In addition to her government income, she earns rental income from her London property, declared at over £10,000 annually in the parliamentary register.

Her political journey was influenced early on by her father, who introduced her to the Labour Party’s values. She recalled a moment when he pointed to Labour leader Neil Kinnock on television, telling her, “that’s who we vote for.” Before entering politics, Reeves gained financial expertise at the Bank of England, even working on the US economy at the British Embassy in Washington. Later, she moved to Leeds for a role with HBOS, where she witnessed the 2008 financial crisis firsthand.

Despite a busy schedule, Reeves describes herself as a practising Christian, though she admits she struggles to attend church as much as she would like. During the recent election campaign, she jokingly apologised to her vicar for her absences, saying, “I’ve been quite busy.”