Jamie Reed

Jamieson Ronald "Jamie" Reed (born 4 August 1973) is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Copeland in Cumbria since 2005, replacing Copeland's long-serving former MP Jack Cunningham (now Lord Cunningham of Felling).

Reed is currently a Shadow Health Minister.

Early life

Reed was born in Whitehaven. He attended Whitehaven School and Manchester Metropolitan University. Before election as an MP he worked as a Press Officer at Sellafield, a former nuclear power station and nuclear waste reprocessing installation, in his constituency, and had served on Copeland Borough Council.

Parliamentary career

In his maiden speech, Reed declared himself to be a Jedi in the debate over "Racial and Religious Hatred Bill" under consideration in Parliament. His comment was intended to be taken ironically and raise the issue of how the Bill would define what was and wasn't a religion.

Jamie Reed has also referred to himself as a "good Methodist" in parliamentary debate:^[1]

As a good Methodist, I shall refuse the opportunity to bet. My hon. Friend mentioned the economic estimates done by a German economist on the amount of money spent on nuclear technology and nuclear research and development. Are we talking principally about the civil nuclear sector? Is the military nuclear sector also included? He also mentioned the IAEA. It does not exist to promote the nuclear industry; it exists to give it some kind of international regulatory framework.

Reed is well known for his support of the nuclear industry. Sellafield is in Copeland and the nuclear industry is the main employer in the area. He has frequently referred to the "17,000 individual interests" that he has in the future of the nuclear industry.^[2][3][4]

Having previously served on the frontbench as a Shadow Environment Minister, since October 2011, he has served as one of Labour's Shadow Health Ministers, under Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Andy Burnham. Reed shadows the portfolio of Parliamentary-Under-Secretary for Health, Earl Howe.

Reed famously helped out his party leader, Ed Miliband, who declared he felt "respect" on seeing a white van, following Emily Thornberry's "White Van Gate" tweet prior to the Rochester and Strood by-election, 2014 result,^[5] stating during PMQs: "When I see a white van, I wonder whether it's my father or my brother who is driving".^[6]

In an interview with Andrew Neil on the BBC's Daily Politics show on the 21st of April 2015, shadow health secretary Reed consistently failed to answer questions posed to him by Neil regarding the implementation of the proposed mansion tax on homes over £2 million, instead restating the popularity of the policy for funding the NHS, and continuing to talk over Neil's questions. The interview was cut short when Reed apparently disconnected mid-sentence, prompting Neil to remark: "it looks like somebody's pulled the plug. I wonder why?"^[7] Reed later refused an invitation from the BBC to come back and finish the interview.^[8]

References

External links

• Official website
• The Guardian - Jamie Reed: Electoral history and profile
• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou