Christina Rees

Christina Rees (born 21 February 1954) is a British Labour Co-operative Party politician. She has been the MP for Neath since May 2015.

Early life
Rees was born in the village of Kenfig Hill in south Wales. Her father died when she was a young teenager and she was brought up by her mother.

Rees became head girl of Cynffig Comprehensive School and has excelled at a number of sports. Speaking as an adult, she explained that: "'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 has 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 most successful at squash, a sport for which she has represented Wales over 100 times.

Career
Rees is a qualified barrister.

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

Rees first became MP for Neath following the UK general election of 2015.

Rees was appointed a Shadow Justice Minister in January 2016, but quit her position during the mass resignation of Shadow ministers following the EU referendum. She later became one of 33 Labour MPs to return to the front bench, again in the position of Shadow Justice Minister. In February 2017, she was appointed to the position of Shadow Secretary of State for Wales.