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Rachel and Labour leader Ed Miliband visited Derby today, touring the Manthorpe Engineering plant in Derby to highlight the crucial role that manufacturing plays for the UK economy.

After meeting with managers and apprentices from the firm, there was a question and answer session, focusing on the economy and Labour’s Five Point Plan for Jobs and Growth.

Rachel said:

“It was great to meet staff and apprentices at the Manthorpe Engineering plant. It is a good example of what can be done to give young people opportunities in industries that are very important to our economy. It’s important that we support businesses that are helping young people into work for the first time so we jump-start the recovery that this Government have failed to produce.”

Rachel has written to Justine Greening MP, the new Secretary of State for Transport, to emphasise the benefits of the plans for a new railway station in Kirkstall and to invite her to visit the site.

The site of Kirkstall Forge has planning permission to become a mixed use residential and business site which will create 2,400 jobs and include over 1,000 homes.

The station at the heart of the scheme is in the Department for Transport’s ‘Development Pool’, awaiting the green light for spending to be allocated.

Rachel said:

“I have campaigned about Kirkstall Forge station since before I was an MP, and it is crucial that Kirkstall Forge is on the agenda of the new Secretary of State for Transport. The Secretary of State will be making a decision in the next month on whether the Forge gets investment for a new railway station.

I will continue to emphasise how important the development is as an opportunity for creating over 2,000 jobs and building over 1,000 homes as well as improving public transport in West Leeds. That’s why I wrote to invite Justine Greening to meet with me, and tour the site to see its enormous potential.”

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This morning, Rev Arani Sen invited Rachel to address the Sunday Service at Christ Church, Upper Armley. Rachel met members of the congregation and took part in the service, talking about how her faith is an important part of her political life.

Rachel said "It was great to be a part of the all-ages service at Christ Church. Rev Sen and his team run a very energetic church, where I instantly felt at ease. I look forward to visiting again."

Last night, Rachel joined fellow Labour MPs Caroline Flint and Toby Perkins at a discussion event in Leeds Civic Hall organised by Progress. A packed hall discussed the issues raised in The Purple Book and ideas about how the Labour Party should approach some of the biggest issues in society. Rachel said,

"The Purple Book, and events like this, have stimulated some really important debate within the Labour Party, about what kind of society we want to help to shape in the 21st Century. It's vital that we reach out to as wide an audience as possible, and that we can demonstrate that we are the party with the ideas, the drive and the ambition for Britain."

This morning, Rachel joined Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls in Sheffield, to launch Labour's plan for jobs and growth in Yorkshire. Rachel and Ed met the staff and managers at Clix Coolers, a firm producing industrial cooling units. Rachel and Ed then talked with a few of the apprentices taking part in Sheffield City Council's new apprenticeship scheme.

Rachel said, "Sheffield's Labour Council are showing what can be achieved when local government and businesses come together to create opportunities for young people. What we need is action like this on a much bigger scale, across our region and our country, to get young people working and kick-start the recovery that this Government have squandered.

Ed Balls has demonstrated that Labour is the only party with a credible plan for jobs and growth. The Government should implement our plan today, instead of sticking with their own failing programme, which has led to rising unemployment, soaring inflation and a flatlining economy."

Local film-makers Interplay have put together this brilliant film about why we want to keep Bramley Baths open.

Don't forget to visit www.interplayleeds.co.uk to find out more about the theatre company - and go along and take a dip in the Baths today!

Rachel met with a delegation of speech and language therapists from Leeds yesterday. They were in Parliament as part of a group of therapists from across the country who were raising awareness of the Giving Voice Campaign, which is being led by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

The Campaign aims to raise awareness of the role speech and language therapy play in people’s lives by telling the stories of those who have benefitted from therapy and encouraging others to seek therapy when they may lack the confidence to do so themselves.

After meeting them Rachel said: “It was a pleasure to meet speech language therapists from Leeds in Parliament. I’m pencilling in some time to see their work at Wortley Beck Health Centre as soon as I can, because it is clear that they do fantastic work.”

Giving Voice and the RCSLT have helped thousands of people to overcome various speech and language impediments including helping people recover their speech following a stroke and helping people overcome stammers and lisps.

Rachel today hosted an event for schools from across the country, including two from Leeds West. Celebrating the first birthday of Chess in Schools and Communities, she also welcomed Garry Kasparov, former world Champion, and Nigel Short, former world champion contender to Parliament.

Chess in Schools and Communities works across the country to make chess more accessible, and runs classes in Valley View Primary school and Stanningley Primary in Leeds West.

Joined by several other MPs and school children from across England and Wales, Rachel welcomed the work that the charity has done in those schools.

Rachel said:

“I know from playing chess when I was at school how valuable chess is. Chess in Schools works in 80 schools across the country. In just a year, it has enabled 3,000 children to play, enjoy and learn from chess. I enjoyed playing chess again today, even if I am a bit rusty, and it was fantastic to see the children learning from and challenging a world champion as well.”

Next week, two pupils from Valley View school will join schoolchildren from across the country in Parliament, for a Chess in Schools event with Gary Kasparov and Nigel Short. In advance of their visit, Rachel today visited Valley View School to meet the students learning chess, and to play against 12 of them at once!

Although none of them quite managed to beat Rachel, all the pupils had a great time, as did Rachel;

"It's great to see young people engaging in chess, which helps to build their problem-solving and logic skills, as well as being great fun. I'm looking forward to next week, when I'll be able to host some of my local schoolchildren in the Parliamentary event."

The Government have decided to amend controversial plans in the Pensions Bill to increase the state pension age.

Introducing an 18 month cap on the maximum delay, the change will mean 245,000 women will have to wait less than expected under the Bill. Rachel, who as shadow pensions minister joined thousands of women in condemning the plans and ran a high profile campaign against them said:

“I’ve been lobbying for a year to get the government to think again to help the 500,000 women who will have to wait more than an extra year to get their state pension. This is only a partial concession, but the government has at least listened to the women who have lobbied parliament, to the women who have signed the petition and to the thousands of women who have written to their MPs and the government.

After a year of uncertainty we now have the government’s concessions. While I welcome the fact that 245,000 women are going to have to wait less than they had feared, I still have very real concerns: the government should go further.

As many as 1,000 women in Leeds West will still have to wait more than a year to receive their state pension – and while this is good news for those who had to wait for more than 18 months, the extra delay is still a major concern.

It is still the case that 500,000 women are going to have to wait more than an extra year to get their state pension, and 300,000 women who are going to have to wait exactly 18months are still set to lose up to £11,000 because of the government’s changes to women’s retirement dates.”

The campaign to save Bramley Baths has reached a new milestone, as the Friends of Bramley Baths prepare to make their bid to take over running our historic facility from the Council. I am giving the Friends my full support, and I encourage everyone in the local community who wants to get involved to contact the Friends through their website www.friendsofbramleybaths.wordpress.com.

There is a public meeting on Thursday 20th October at 6:30pm in Bramley St Peter's School, where you can come along to meet the Friends and find out more about the bid.

Report on the Guardian's Northener Blog: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2011/oct/10/bramley-baths-rachel-reeves-community-asset-transfer

I was really pleased to be invited by Debbie Abrahams MP to speak at a fundraising dinner last night.

I had a lovely evening, meeting local members and supporters and enjoying some excellent food. Debbie is a fantastic local MP doing some great work both in Parliament and in her Constituency, and it was my privilege to be able to support her.

Rachel has today been appointed Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury by Labour Leader Ed Miliband. She previously served as Shadow Pensions Minister from October 2010, where she made a big impact with the campaign against the acceleration of the state pension age for women.

In this exciting reshuffle, Rachel was just one of a handful of the 2010 intake of Labour MPs to be promoted to the Shadow Cabinet. As the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rachel will be working closely with Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls MP.

A full list of the new Shadow Cabinet can be found here.