Stalybridge and Hyde MP Jonathan Reynolds has switched roles in a wide-ranging reshuffle of the Labour Party's top team.

Mr Reynolds - who also serves Mossley, Longdendale and Dukinfield - had held the position of the shadow work and pensions secretary since April 2020. 

It involved scrutinising the work of work and pensions secretary Thérèse Coffey, as well as being the Labour Party's spokesperson for the department and developing new policies.

On Monday evening (29 November), party leader Sir Keir Starmer announced a surprise shake-up of the senior spokespeople to mirror the cabinet in government - which comes just six months after the last refresh of his shadow cabinet, in the wake of a mixed night for Labour in May's elections across the UK. 

It means Reynolds has now become shadow business secretary, with his previous role going to Jonathan Ashworth, who had served as shadow health secretary since 2016. 

Reynolds takes over the business position from Ed Miliband, who stays on as shadow climate secretary. 

Father-of-four Reynolds, 41, who has been the Stalybridge and Hyde MP since 2010, has also previously served a number of other roles in the shadow cabinet. 

He was then Labour leader Ed Miliband's parliamentary private secretary and then became shadow minister for energy and climate change. 

Mr Reynolds was also a shadow minister for transport with responsibility for rail between September 2015 and January 2016. 

Before becoming shadow work and pensions secretary, he also held the position of shadow economic secretary to the Treasury. 

'Incredibly proud and delighted' 

In a Facebook post, Mr Reynolds said he was "incredibly proud and delighted" to take on the role of Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Industrial Strategy.

"I have loved the job as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and in particular fighting the devastating cut to Universal Credit," he said.

"But as a former Shadow Treasury Minister I have always been passionate about a fairer, more prosperous economy, and this brief is central to that.

"When I was a member of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee, the investigation we undertook into Sports Direct is something I regard as one of the most important things I have done in Parliament.

"I believe many in the business community share Labour’s aims of economic prosperity, good work and thriving businesses in every town and city.

"I would like to thank my shadow team and staff for their brilliant work, my family for their love and encouragement, and my amazing constituents and local party for their support." 

I am incredibly proud and delighted to become Shadow Secretary of State for @beisgovuk, and to continue working with my close friends @RachelReevesMP as Shadow Chancellor and @Ed_Miliband in his exciting new role as Shadow SoS for Net Zero and Climate Change

— Jonathan Reynolds (@jreynoldsMP) November 29, 2021

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