All at the political romances running Britain.
LONDON — It’s been a massive year of change in British politics, but one thing remains constant — there’s love in the air in Westminster.
POLITICO is yet again celebrating the annual festival of love by bringing you SW1’s top political power couples. As usual, the 2025 list is absolutely not scientifically ranked.
A reshuffle
It is no surprise the 2025 power list looks very different from last year. With a historic Conservative defeat, many of the previous big winners — including former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murthy — haven’t even made it in this year.
And there are now plenty of loved-up Labour politicians and aides to take the top slots amid the Tory exodus.
But that’s enough teasing, here’s the class of 2025.
1. Morgan McSweeney and Imogen Walker
When it comes to proximity to power, this year’s top power pairing can’t be rivaled.
Morgan McSweeney won an epic Downing Street battle to become the prime minister’s chief of staff in October. He’s married to new Labour MP Imogen Walker, who is operating at the heart of Britain’s finance ministry as a parliamentary aide to Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Credited with orchestrating Labour’s landslide general election victory, McSweeney has been the subject of many Westminster profiles, and is seen as a key protagonist in the rise of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
McSweeney and Walker met in 2005 when he was Labour’s campaign manager in Lambeth, and knocked on then-councillor Walker’s door clutching a pile ofLabour leaflets.
Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund’s new book “Get In” notes that McSweeney referred to her as her councilor tag “Stockwell Number Five” for a while after they first met. Who says romance is dead?
2. Claire and Jonathan Reynolds
Starmer’s Political Director Claire Reynolds and her Cabinet minister husband Jonathan also get a prime spot in POLITICO’s 2025 love list.
Claire has an important job managing relationships with a nervous parliamentary Labour party eyeing the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform, and the many other headaches that come with being the ruling party. She previously ran Labour Women’s Network, and is credited with helping get 100 new female MPs onto the Labour benches.
Her business secretary husband Jonathan is tasked with delivering on Labour’s crucial “growth, growth, growth!” promises, and he will be at the forefront of the government response to Donald Trump’s ever-changing tariff whims.
3. Wes Streeting and Joe Dancey
And here’s another stalwart Labour couple. Health Secretary Wes Streeting is engaged to Labour’s policy and communications director Joe Dancey. With the public often citing health among its top priorities (according to YouGov polling), the party’s electoral fate could hang on Streeting’s ability to reform the national health juggernaut. There are also those ever-circulating rumors about Streeting as a future party leader.
Dancey will be crucial to Labour’s future electoral success in his role overseeing comms at Labour HQ — a powerful party position. He was given the post in October 2024, after losing the race to be Stockton West’s MP.
4. Marianna and Pat McFadden
As Keir Starmer’s deputy campaign director during the general election, Marianna McFadden played a key role in Labour’s landslide victory. She’s now the party’s deputy general secretary, number two to General Secretary Hollie Ridley — the highest ranking member of the party’s internal structure.
Her husband, Pat McFadden, has a front bench seat as the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, making him one of Keir Starmer’s closest political fixers. A Labour veteran, he was political secretary to Tony Blair in No. 10 Downing Street, and subsequently held several front-bench jobs since being elected as an MP in 2005.
The McFaddens are two of the biggest power players in Labour, the true meaning of a power couple.
5. Henna Shah and Matt Pound
Labour’s Director of Party Relations Henna Shah is a key link between frontbenchers and the Labour campaign machine. She was previously a political adviser to fellow power player Pat McFadden, but was promoted after Labour’s landslide win.
Her other half, Matt Pound, is political secretary to Reeves, the chancellor. Given that economic issues have been some of the most turbulent since the election (and, let’s be real, for a long time before), it’s likely the pair struggle to keep work out of the dinner table chat.
6. Stuart Ingham and Jess Leigh
Stuart Ingham is Starmer’s policy man. He has directed the No. 10 policy unit since Labour won power after pulling together the landslide-winning manifesto in opposition in his role as executive director of policy.
He is also one of Starmer’s longest-serving aides. He was senior parliamentary researcher to Starmer in the Brexit years when the now-PM was making his name in Westminster as shadow Brexit secretary.
His wife, Jess Leigh, is an adviser to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper — the cabinet minister tasked with showing a concerned public Labour has got a plan to control Britain’s borders.
She is well known in media circles from her previous role as Labour Party broadcast officer — a position in which she fought the election “air war” for Keir Starmer.
7. Keir and Victoria Starmer
A reluctant power couple, but a power couple nonetheless.
The prime minister’s wife Victoria, an NHS occupational health worker, has been thrust into the spotlight after Labour’s landslide victory.
She accompanied her husband to Buckingham Palace for his appointment as prime minister, and flew with him to Washington for a NATO summit last July.
But don’t expect glossy profiles with the views of Vic. She is yet to give a newspaper interview, or let TV cameras into their home. She is probably even less likely to stick her head above the parapet after a furore over the declaration of clothes bought for her by Labour donor Lord Waheed Alli inflicted early political damage.
Keir and Victoria met when they both worked in law, where he grilled her down the phone on some documents she’d drawn up. When they hung up, Victoria is said to have asked “who the f*ck does he think he is.” A tale as old as time.
8. Yvette Cooper and Ed Balls
As home secretary, Yvette Cooper is one of the most senior politicians in the country, tasked with the politically charged mission to “smash the gangs.” Her broadcaster and podcaster husband, the ex-Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, has forged a successful post-politics media career as a breakfast presenter.
The success of Balls’ “Political Currency” podcast, with former Chancellor George Osborne, means he continues to be a Westminster influencer.
Operating in competing fields does have its challenges. The couple raised eyebrows in September when Balls interviewed his own wife for ITV’s Good Morning Britain, which he presents. Ofcom decided not to investigate the interview, but urged “particular care” to be taken over future such interviews to “ensure due impartiality is preserved.”
9. Rachel Reeves and Nicholas Joicey
The chancellor of the exchequer has one of the toughest jobs in British politics, and is under ever-mounting pressure to fix the wobbly economy. With constant scrutiny of her moves, policies and pledges, she’s under a relentless spotlight — especially since her high-tax budget.
She is married to a senior government official, the environment department’s second permanent secretary Joicey, who is currently on a one-year secondment as Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government COO. Joicey made the move after deciding to give his other half more “airspace,” according to a person in Whitehall familiar with their thinking.
10. Richard Tice and Isabel Oakeshott
In a sign of the times, it is Reform not the Conservatives flying the flag for the right in the power top 10.
MP Richard Tice certainly wields power in Westminster, and Nigel Farage’s second-in-command is undoubtedly spooking Labour as much as the Conservatives. His partner, Talk’s International Editor Isabel Oakeshott, is a fellow political troublemaker. The pair currently split their time between Skegness and Dubai (a classic combination), after Oakeshott left the U.K. in protest at Labour’s move to impose VAT on private schools.
11. Georgia Gould and Alex Zatman
Newbie MP Georgia Gould is one of the members of the 2024 intake who have already bagged government jobs, having been made Cabinet Office parliamentary secretary days after the election. Her husband Alex Zatman was made a SpAd to Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall in August 2024.
The pair married in 2021 — and former Downing Street communications chief Alastair Campbell played the bagpipes.
12. Stephen Bush and Felicity Slater
As Treasury SpAd, Slater is involved in all-important discussions about where Labour will — or, more accurately, won’t — splash the cash. Bush, associate editor and columnist at the Financial Times, writes an entertaining and informative FT newsletter, Inside Politics, which is essential reading in SW1.
13. Steven and Sarah Swinford
The Times’ Political Editor Steven Swinford is an endless source of scoops and insight in Westminster. His wife, Sarah, is the Home Office crime director, making her a key player in Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s crackdown on crooks.
14. Pippa Crerar and Tom Whitehead
Senior lobby hack Crerar continues to break exclusives at a rate of knots. As political editor of the left-leaning Guardian during a Labour government, her influence is only set to grow. She is married to ex-Telegraph hack Tom Whitehead, who runs Russia, Ukraine and China comms at the Foreign Office … which sounds like a totally stress-free job. Not.
15. Nick Candy and Holly Valance
Reform U.K. treasurer Nick Candy is a big part of the populist party’s threat to Westminster’s incumbents, helping to bankroll Nigel Farage’s fight. The billionaire property developer even joined Farage for a “historic” meeting with Donald Trump ally Elon Musk, flirting with the prospect of a cash injection from the Tesla tycoon.
Candy’s wife, Holly Valance, has gone from acting in Aussie soap Neighbours to political activism (via 2000s pop stardom). She’s donated £100,000 to Farage’s party, and even told GB News she was the one who convinced the Clacton-on-Sea MP to run for the seat.
16. Amy Richards and Gregor Poynton
2024 intake MP Gregor Poynton is married to the home secretary’s Chief of Staff Amy Richards. A long-time Cooper aide, Richards worked on her 2015 leadership campaign.
17. Liz Bates and Jake Richards
Sky News political correspondent Liz Bates is engaged to newly elected Labour MP Jake Richards, who made his mark on Westminster as one of the most vocal supporters of the assisted dying bill.
Sidenote: The shared surnames between numbers 16 and 17 on this list are no coincidence. Amy is the Rother Valley MP’s sister — and they’re the kids of political journalism legend Steve Richards.
18. Dave and Elspeth McCobb
It’s been a busy year for this Lib Dem love match. Both played crucial roles in seeing the yellow team get a whopping 72 MPs at the election. Dave McCobb is the party’s director of campaigns, and his wife Elspeth is its strategic projects manager.
19. Steph Peacock and Jonathan Ashworth
A surprising election defeat saw former Shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth’s Westminster power slip slightly, but being CEO of Labour Together — one of the closest think tanks to Starmer’s party — means he still holds plenty of influence. He is in a relationship with Sports Minister Steph Peacock, a Labour MP since 2017.
20. Sophie Nazemi and James Schneider
Nazemi has the all-powerful and unenviable job of Downing Street press secretary and is engaged to Momentum founder Schneider, who worked on Jeremy Corbyn’s hugely successful campaign to become Islington North’s independent MP. He’s now Progressive International’s communications director and a regular political commentator.
21. Ellie Reeves and John Cryer
Labour Party Chair Ellie Reeves had a busier election year than most, with her former role as deputy national campaign coordinator making her a key player in the party’s landslide win.
Her husband, veteran MP John Cryer, stood down at the general election, and is now a peer and government whip in the house of Lords.
Not only is Ellie Reeves one half of a political power couple — she’s also the sister of Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
22. Jenny Chapman and Nick Smith
Labour peer and Foreign Office Minister Jenny Chapman has been married to long-time Labour MP Nick Smith since 2014.
Chapman is a close ally of Keir Starmer, with the now-prime minister’s leadership campaign masterminded from her kitchen table. Throughout Starmer’s Labour leadership race, the team — nicknamed the Arlington Group, with Smith included — met every Monday to strategize.
23. Roy and Alicia Kennedy
An upper chamber power couple. Being chief whip in the House of Lords means Roy Kennedy has huge influence over legislation — especially when so much is going through the other place. His wife, Deputy Lords Speaker Alicia Kennedy — who is also COO of the food allergy charity Natasha Allergy Research Foundation — has the unenviable job of keeping the house in order, even harder when bills are going through to change the way the entire chamber works. Eek!
The pair have just celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary.
24. Ruth Anderson and Gareth Snell
Former MP Ruth Anderson was made a Labour peer in 2022 and currently sits as a government whip in the upper chamber. She is paired up with Labour MP Gareth Snell, who was MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central from 2017-2019, and made a Commons comeback last summer. The pair are set to be married this year.
25. Finn McGoldrick and Olivia Bailey
McGoldrick has been the adviser to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds since 2020, getting the illustrious SpAd title after the general election. Her wife, Labour MP Olivia Bailey, was a senior advisor in Labour HQ before being elected herself in 2024.
26. Emma Foody and Alex Norris
A rising star of the 2024 intake, Emma Foody works as a PPS to Environment Secretary Steve Reed, while partner Alex Norris was made local growth minister just after the general election.
The pair married just nine days after Norris was first elected in 2017, and they swore their 2024 Oath of Allegiance one after the other in July.
27. Jeevun Sandher and Louise Jones
A pair of rising stars of the 2024 intake, Jeevun Sandher and Home Office PPS Louise Jones got engaged shortly after being elected as MPs. The pair told the BBC they met in January 2023, when Jones was running to become a councilor in Loughborough and Sandher was campaigning to be the MP.
Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell announced the pair’s engagement in the chamber … awkward for the friends who had to find out that way.
28. Isabel Hardman and John Woodcock
Hardman, assistant editor at the Spectator, is a familiar figure on Westminster screens and a highly sought-after political commentator. She is married to the former Labour MP John Woodcock.
Woodcock now sits as a non-affiliated peer in the House of Lords, and is currently the government’s independent adviser on political violence and disruption.
29. Natalie Evans and James Wild
A very Tory power couple — and one of the very few left. James Wild, shadow exchequer secretary to the treasury, is well connected in Westminster having started his career as a Tory special adviser. Evans, a former think tank wonk, is a senior Tory peer and former leader of the House of Lords.
30. Chris Elmore and Bridie Sedgebeer
Labour MP and government whip Chris Elmore has the tough job of keeping all Labour MPs in line over tough legislation — or cracking the whip if they don’t. He’s married to the recently appointed Deputy General Secretary of Welsh Labour Bridie Sedgebeer, who has a big year ahead of her before the 2026 Senedd elections.
31. Spencer Livermore and Seb Dance
Labour peer and Financial Secretary to the Treasury Spencer Livermore is a long-time Labour devotee, having served as chief strategist to Gordon Brown during his time as both prime minister and chancellor. He’s married to Seb Dance, deputy mayor of London for transport.
32. Stephen Kinnock and Helle Thorning-Schmidt
Care Minister Stephen Kinnock’s brief is one of the most hotly watched in politics. His wife, former Danish PM Thorning-Schmidt, is the co-chair of the Meta oversight board — another deeply newsy position.
33. Matt Dathan and Harriet Line
Both senior figures in the Westminster lobby, Dathan is the Times’ home affairs editor, while Line is deputy political editor at the Daily Mail. The couple married last summer, just a few weeks after the general election.
34. Harriet Mathews and David Frost
Conservative peer (and ex-Brexit negotiator) David Frost is married to FCDO Director General for Africa, the Americas and Overseas Territories Harriet Mathews. As a peer he avoided the Tory bloodbath and is a figure to watch as the party begins the painful task of rebuilding.
35. Ed Davey and Emily Gasson
Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey Ed Davey arguably had the most fun of any politician during the 2024 general election, but his serious message of focusing on care and carers cut through with videos alongside his wife Emily — a Lib Dem councilor. They both look after their son, John, who is disabled.
36. Dave Penman and Kay Hender
FDA union boss Dave Penman married FDA Head of Comms Kay Hender at the end of 2024 after many years together. The pair have heightened power in Westminster with the new friendlier-to-unions Labour government — but haven’t been afraid to accuse the new PM of civil servant-bashing.
37. Sam Haq and Carl Dinnen
NHS England Director of Comms Samana Haq has her work cut out for her, and her husband, ITV political correspondent Carl Dinnen, hasn’t got much quiet time either … and not just because the pair recently welcomed their second child.
38. Joe Morris and Hana Al-Izzi
New Labour MP Joe Morris is a PPS to House of Lords Leader Angela Smith, making him the Lords’ leadership’s eyes and ears in the Commons. He’s recently become engaged to Whip’s Office SpAd Hana Al-Izzi.
39. Jane Bonham Carter and Tim Razzall
An upper chamber power couple, Lib Dem peers Jane Bonham Carter and Tim Razzall have sat in the lords since 2004 and 1997 respectively. Bonham Carter is the Lib Dems’ culture spokesperson in the Lords.
40. Patrick Christys and Emily Carver
The sweethearts of right-wing TV channel GB News, hosts Patrick Christys and Emily Carver married just before the general election, and even got a well-wishes shout-out from their bosses.
