Born in Lewisham, Reeves attended Cator Park School for Girls. She studied PPE at the University of Oxford before obtaining a Master of Science degree from the London School of Economics. She joined the Labour Party at the age of sixteen, and later worked in the Bank of England. After two unsuccessful attempts to be elected to the House of Commons, she was elected as the MP for the seat of Leeds West at the 2010 general election. She endorsed Ed Miliband in the 2010 Labour leadership election an