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Rachel Blake

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Rachel Blake
MP
Official portrait, 2024
Economic Secretary to the Treasury
City Minister
Incumbent
Assumed office
14 May 2026
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Preceded byLucy Rigby
Member of Parliament
for Cities of London and Westminster
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded byNickie Aiken
Majority2,708 (6.9%)
Member of Tower Hamlets London Borough Council for Bow East
In office
22 May 2014 – 26 July 2024
Personal details
BornRachel Nancy Blake
Manchester, England
PartyLabour Co-op
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (BA)
London School of Economics (MSc)
Websitewww.rachelblake.org.uk

Rachel Nancy Blake is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cities of London and Westminster since 2024 and Economic Secretary to the Treasury since 14 May 2026. A member of Labour Co-op, she previously represented Bow East on Tower Hamlets London Borough Council from 2014 to 2024 and was deputy mayor of Tower Hamlets from 2018 to 2022.

Political Career

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Blake attended Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, graduating with a BA degree in 2001,[1] before studying for a master's degree in social policy at the London School of Economics. She joined the Labour Party in 2003. Early in her career, she was a policy adviser at HM Treasury under then-Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown[2] and was a member of Kate Barker's team on a Review of Land Use Planning which was published in December 2006.[3] From 2009 to 2013, she was a manager at East London Housing Partnership.[4]

Tower Hamlets Borough Councillor

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In May 2014, Blake was elected as a Labour Party councillor for the Bow East ward on Tower Hamlets London Borough Council,[5] before her appointment to Tower Hamlets' Cabinet in July 2015.[6] Blake resigned in July 2024 after her election as the MP for the Cities of London and Westminster constituency.[7]

Representing the Local Government Association at a hearing of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee in June 2021, she claimed that national regulations often held back and undermined local ambition and innovation on climate change. She called for more ambitious building standards on energy efficiency, but noted that competitions for funding meant councils often wasted resources on bidding.[8] At a Local Government Association community wellbeing ward in December 2021 she attacked poor organisation of the COVID-19 vaccine booster programme.[9]

Blake is vice-chair of the Labour Housing Group.[10] She was previously the secretary of the London Labour Housing Group[11] and a member of the London Legacy Development Corporation Board. She has campaigned for tougher regulations of short-term rentals in London,[12] housing improvements and other built environment issues.[13][14][15]

Member of Parliament

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Rachel Blake was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cities of London and Westminster in the 2024 United Kingdom general election.

In May 2026, following a government reshuffle, Blake was appointed as Economic Secretary to the Treasury, replacing Lucy Rigby, who was replacing James Murray as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, [16] after Murray was appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, following the resignation of Wes Streeting as Health Secretary. [17][18][19]

Personal life

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Blake was born in Manchester and grew up in London,[20] where she currently lives. Her partner, Marc Francis,[21] is a fellow Tower Hamlets borough councillor. She has two sons. She is a member of Unison and the GMB Union.

References

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  1. ^ "Congregations of the Regent House on 28, 29, and 30 June 2001". Cambridge University Reporter. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Starmer's new Labour MPS will define Britain for a decade – here's who they are". The i Paper. 21 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Foreword", Barker Review of Land Use Planning (PDF) (Final Report – Recommendations ed.), HMSO, 2006
  4. ^ "Contact Us". East London Housing Partnership. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  5. ^ Piggott, Gareth (September 2014). London Borough Council Elections 22 May 2014 (PDF). London: Greater London Authority. p. 171. ISSN 1479-7879.
  6. ^ "Councillor details – Councillor Rachel Blake". democracy.towerhamlets.gov.uk. 29 March 2024.
  7. ^ Stephen Halsey (26 July 2024). Notice of Vacancy, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Bow East Ward (PDF) (Report). Tower Hamlets Council.
  8. ^ Ford, Martin (24 June 2021). "'Climate change efforts need national support'". The Municipal Journal. London: Hemming Group Ltd. p. 2.
  9. ^ Hill, Jessica (14 December 2021). "Covid booster drive criticised amid call for vaccine hubs within councils". Local Government Chronicle.
  10. ^ "Executive – Labour Housing Group". 17 May 2019.
  11. ^ Spencer, Sheila (9 April 2020). "Rachel Blake".
  12. ^ Block, India (20 February 2024). "New restrictions on short-term letting could just be 'more hot air'". Evening Standard.
  13. ^ "Gove intervenes over Barbican demolition plans". architectsjournal.co.uk. 17 April 2024.
  14. ^ Rees, Linus (16 October 2023). "Candidate for 'two cities' says Labour will insulate homes and help families cut energy bills". Fitzrovia News.
  15. ^ Spocchia, Gino (28 September 2023). "Five takeaways from AJ Retrofit Live: 'Net zero is here to stay'". Architects' Journal.
  16. ^ Pope, Alex (15 May 2026). "Northampton North MP Lucy Rigby appointed to top treasury role". BBC News. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  17. ^ "The Rt Hon James Murray MP". GOV.UK. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  18. ^ "Secretary of State for Health and Social Care - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  19. ^ UK Prime Minister [@10DowningStreet] (14 May 2026). "The Rt Hon James Murray MP @JamesMurray_ldn has been appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care @DHSCgovuk" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 May 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  20. ^ "Economy, Welfare and Public Services". Hansard. 22 July 2024.
  21. ^ "Register of interests". democracy.towerhamlets.gov.uk. 20 August 2024.
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