Christina Rees

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Christina Rees

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Official portrait of Christina Rees MP crop 2.jpg

| office = Member of Parliament
for Neath

| term_start = 7 May 2015

| term_end = 30 May 2024

| predecessor = Peter Hain

| successor = Constituency abolished

{{collapsed infobox section begin

| last = yes

| Shadow portfolios

| titlestyle = border:1px dashed lightgrey}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| embed = yes

| office = Shadow Secretary of State

| subterm = 2017–2020

| suboffice = Wales

| office1 = Shadow Minister

| subterm1 = 2016–2017

| suboffice1 = Courts and Legal Aid

{{collapsed infobox section end}}}}

| office1 = Member of Bridgend County Council
for Newcastle

| term_start1 = 3 May 2012

| term_end1 = 7 May 2015

| successor1 = Neelo Farr

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|02|21|df=y}}

| birth_place = Kenfig Hill, Bridgend, Wales

| party = Labour Co-op{{efn|Suspended between 2022 and 2024.}}

| spouse = Ron Davies
(div. 2000)

| alma_mater = University of Wales (LLB)

| website = {{URL|christinarees.org}}

| caption = Official portrait, 2020

}}

Christina Rees (born 21 February 1954) is a Welsh politician who served as Member of Parliament for Neath from 2015 to 2024. She is a member of the Labour and Co-operative parties.

Early life

Rees was born on 21 February 1954,{{cite web |title=Christina Rees MP |url=http://myparliament.info/Member/4525 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811055639/http://myparliament.info/Member/4525 |archive-date=11 August 2017 |access-date=11 August 2017 |website=myparliament.info |publisher=MyParliament}} in the South Wales village of Kenfig Hill. Her father died early in her teenage years, so she was raised by her mother.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-38931156|title=Profile: New Shadow Welsh Secretary Christina Rees|work=BBC News|date=10 February 2017|access-date=5 September 2017}}

Rees became head girl of Cynffig Comprehensive School and excelled at a number of sports. Speaking as an adult, she stated: "I was very shy when I was a child and was bullied, so my mother sent me to judo classes to strengthen me up. I got a black belt first dan when I was 13." Rees represented Wales Schools at tennis, hockey, and athletics. Rees was also a member of the Great Britain Youth Team that competed at the Munich Olympics.

Rees was successful at squash, a sport for which she has represented Wales over 100 times.

Career

Rees practised as a barrister before her election to Parliament.

She stood as the Labour candidate for Arfon in the National Assembly for Wales elections in May 2011, and was placed fourth on Labour's Wales-wide list for the 2014 European Elections.

Rees became MP for Neath following the UK general election of 2015.{{cite news |date=8 May 2015 |title=Election 2015: Neath parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/W07000069 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230163551/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/W07000069 |archive-date=30 December 2016 |access-date=8 May 2015 |work=BBC News}} She was re-elected at the 2019 United Kingdom general election, but with a majority half of that she had in 2017.{{Cite web |last1=Mosalski |first1=Ruth |last2=Bellis |first2=Katie |date=2019-12-13 |title=General Election 2019 result for Neath |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/christina-rees-neath-election-results-17399016 |access-date=2020-04-09 |website=Wales Online}}{{cite news |date=9 June 2017 |title=Election 2017: Neath parliamentary constituency |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/W07000069 |access-date=11 August 2017 |work=BBC News}}

Rees was appointed Shadow Minister for Courts and Legal Aid in January 2016,{{cite tweet|last=Mason|first=Chris|user=ChrisMasonBBC|title=Labour say Christina Rees, MP for Neath, has been appointed Shadow Minister, Department of Justice (Courts and Legal Aid).|number=689558233057468417}} but quit her position during the mass resignation of Shadow ministers following the EU referendum.{{Cite web|title=Shadow justice minister Christina Rees quits post|url=https://www.itv.com/news/update/2016-06-28/shadow-justice-minister-christina-rees-quits-post/|access-date=2021-02-15|website=ITV News|language=en}} She supported Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour Party (UK) leadership election.{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mps-nominating-owen-smith-labour-8451186|title=Which MPs are nominating Owen Smith in the Labour leadership contest?|last1=Smith|first1=Mikey|date=20 July 2016|work=Daily Mirror|access-date=10 November 2018|last2=Bloom|first2=Dan}} She later became one of 33 Labour MPs to return to the front bench, taking the Courts and Legal Aid portfolio once again.{{Cite web|date=2016-10-11|title=Shadow Justice Team News|url=https://www.christinarees.org/shadow-justice-team-news/|access-date=2021-02-15|website=Christina Rees|language=en-GB}}

In February 2017, she was appointed to the position of Shadow Secretary of State for Wales.

In the 2020 Labour Party leadership election, Rees endorsed Keir Starmer for Labour Leader. She endorsed Angela Rayner for deputy leader.{{Cite web|url=https://www.christinarees.org/weekly-round-up/|title=Weekly Round-up|date=2020-01-10|website=Christina Rees|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-04-09}}

In April 2020, Rees announced that she would be leaving the Official Opposition frontbench.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/keir-starmers-new-labour-shadow-21817056|title=Keir Starmer's new Labour shadow cabinet unveiled LIVE - with Corbyn allies out|last1=Bartlett|first1=Nicola|last2=Bloom|first2=Dan|date=2020-04-06|website=Daily Mirror|access-date=2020-04-09|last3=Milne|first3=Oliver}}

Rees was suspended from Labour on 13 October 2022, following allegations of bullying.{{Cite news |last=Crerar |first=Pippa |date=13 October 2022 |title=Labour MP Christina Rees loses party whip after alleged bullying |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/13/labour-mp-christina-rees-stripped-of-party-whip-after-bullying-allegations |access-date=13 October 2022 |work=The Guardian}}{{cite news |title=Neath Labour MP Christina Rees suspended on bullying allegations |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-63245280 |access-date=13 October 2022 |work=BBC News |date=13 October 2022}} She sat as an independent MP,{{Cite web |date=2023-01-11 |title=Independents now outnumber Lib Dems after Andrew Bridgen loses Tory whip |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/jeremy-corbyn-andrew-bridgen-labour-mps-plaid-cymru-b2260233.html |access-date=2023-06-10 |website=The Independent |language=en}} until she was readmitted to the party and had the whip restored on 1 February 2024. {{cite news |last=Stacey |first=Kiran |date=1 February 2024 |title=Christina Rees readmitted to Labour after apology over bullying claims |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/13/labour-mp-christina-rees-stripped-of-party-whip-after-bullying-allegations |work=The Guardian |access-date=1 February 2024}} The same day she announced that she would be standing down at the 2024 general election.{{cite news |last=Stacey |first=Kiran |date=2024-02-01 |title=Christina Rees readmitted to Labour after apology over bullying claims |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/feb/01/christina-rees-readmitted-to-labour-after-apology-over-bullying-claims |access-date=2024-02-01 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}

Personal life

Rees was married to Ron Davies, a former Labour MP and Welsh Secretary, with whom she had a daughter. The couple separated in 1999, after Davies admitted to allegations of infidelity, and divorced in 2000.{{Cite web |last=WalesOnline |date=2003-03-01 |title=I'm sorry, Ron, says politician's ex-wife |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/im-sorry-ron-says-politicians-2489380 |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=Wales Online |language=en}} Rees is a vegan.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40058342|title=Jeremy Corbyn and other famous vegetarian politicians|date=28 November 2019|work=BBC News}}