Gareth Snell

Ruth Smeeth

​

(m. 2025)​

Gareth Snell MP
Official portrait, 2017
Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent Central
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 July 2024
Alma mater	Keele University
Website	www.garethsnell.org.uk

Gareth Craig Snell (born 1 January 1986) is a British politician who serves as Member of Parliament (MP) for Stoke-on-Trent Central. He regained the seat at the 2024 general election having represented it from 2017 to 2019. A member of Labour Co-op, he was Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council from 2012 to 2014.

Early and personal life

Snell was educated at Stowmarket High School in Suffolk, ^[1] and graduated from Keele University in 2008 after studying History and Politics. ^[2] Snell served as general secretary of the Students' Union and founded Keele Labour Students. ^[3]

In May 2025, Snell married former Labour MP and life peer Ruth Smeeth in Gibraltar. ^[4]

Political career

Snell unsuccessfully stood for election to Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council in 2007 and 2008, but was finally elected to represent Knutton and Silverdale ward in May 2010. ^[5] He was elected as the Leader of the Council after Labour won a majority at the 2012 local elections. ^[6] During his tenure, the council became a living wage employer, joined the Co-operative Council network and implemented a 'no redundancies' policy. Seeking re-election in Chesterton ward, Snell's leadership came to an end upon narrowly losing to the UKIP candidate in May 2014. ^{[7] [8]} However, he returned as a councillor in a by-election for Silverdale and Parksite ward in August 2016, and served until his term expired in May 2018. ^[9]

In January 2017, Snell was selected as the Labour Party candidate in the Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election, triggered following the resignation of Tristram Hunt. ^[10] Held on 23 February, he won the seat with a reduced vote share but saw off a challenge from UKIP leader Paul Nuttall. ^[11]

He was re-elected with a majority of nearly 4,000 in the general election on 8 June 2017. This was an increase of the figure of 2,600 at the by-election, but compares to 20,000 from 1997. ^[12] Snell lost his seat in the 2019 general election to Conservative Jo Gideon, predicting his defeat even before his result was announced on BBC television. ^[13]

Snell regained the seat in the general election of July 2024. He received 14,950 votes, representing 42.4% share of the vote. His nearest rival received 8,541 votes.

Political views

Snell supported Remain in the 2016 EU referendum, ^[14] but opposed a second referendum and supported an exit deal to avoid leaving without one. ^{[15] [16]}

West Midlands mayoral election

Between 2020 and 2021, Snell was campaign manager for the Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Hodge Hill, Liam Byrne in the 2021 West Midlands mayoral election, where Byrne lost. Snell was in charge of managing volunteers and staff, as well as coordinating messaging and fundraising. ^[17]

References

1. Paul Geater (27 February 2017). ""Suffolk lad" Labour MP Gareth Snell starts his Westminster career". East Anglian Daily Times . Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
2. "2017, Keele University". Keele University. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
3. "The former student leaders entering Parliament". Wonkhe. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
4. "Love on the Rock- UK MPs tie the knot". Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
5. "Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 February 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
6. "Agenda for Council on Wednesday, 16th May, 2012, 7.00 pm". moderngov.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk. 16 May 2012. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
7. "Local Elections Archive Project - 2014 - Newcastle-under-Lyme". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
8. "Agenda for Council on Wednesday, 4th June, 2014, 7.00 pm". moderngov.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk. 4 June 2014. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
9. "Former council leader returns to council after by-election win". Stoke Sentinel. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2017.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
10. Edwards, Peter (25 January 2017). "Stoke-on-Trent members select former council chief to tackle UKIP in by-election". LabourList. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
11. Bienkov, Adam (24 February 2017). "Labour defeats UKIP leader Paul Nuttall in Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
12. "Stoke-on-Trent Central parliamentary constituency - Election 2017". Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018– via www.bbc.co.uk.
13. "Labour candidate blasts leadership as he predicts losing his seat". 13 December 2019.
14. Elgot, Jessica (13 February 2017). "Labour's Stoke byelection candidate apologises for offensive tweets aimed at women". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
15. Corrigan, Phil (13 June 2019). "City MP Gareth Snell: "I should have voted for Theresa May's Brexit deal"". StokeonTrentLive. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
16. Snell, Gareth (14 June 2019). "Gareth Snell: Why I voted against Labour's motion this week". LabourList. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
17. Snell, Gareth. "Gareth Snell LinkedIn".

External links

• Official website
• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Tristram Hunt	Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent Central 2017–2019	Succeeded by Jo Gideon
Preceded by Jo Gideon	Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent Central 2024–present	Incumbent