Jamie Reed

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Jamie Reed bigraphy, stories - British politician

Jamie Reed : biography

4 August 1973 –

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.

Parliamentary career

In his maiden speech, he 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: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 may be best 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.

He is currently serving as one of Labour’s Shadow Ministers for Health, under Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Andy Burnham.

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.