Sarah Russell | |
---|---|
![]() Official portrait, 2024 | |
Member of Parliament for Congleton | |
Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
Preceded by | Fiona Bruce |
Majority | 3,387 (6.8%) |
Personal details | |
Political party | Labour |
Children | 3 |
Residence(s) | Congleton,Cheshire,England |
Sarah Alison Russell [1] is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Congleton since 2024. She is the first non-Conservative politician to represent Congleton,having defeated the incumbent Conservative MP Fiona Bruce. [2] [3]
Russell is a solicitor and a former councillor in Manchester. [4] [5]
Russell studied politics at the University of York,graduating in 2004. [6] She then completed the Graduate Diploma in Law and Bar Vocational Course at BPP University,as well as a Masters of Law at King's College London.
While working as a paralegal at Pattinson &Brewer in London,she cross-qualified as a solicitor,developing a practice in employment law. [6] She then worked for several years at Slater &Gordon before moving to Fox Whitfield and Rebel Law Ltd to work as a consultant solicitor. [7] [8]
Russell has also worked as a supervising solicitor at the Equality and Employment Law Centre. [7] She served as a trustee of Benchill Community Centre and was a school governor at Rackhouse Primary.[ citation needed ]
Between 2014 and 2023,Russell represented Northenden ward as a councillor on Manchester City Council.[ citation needed ] She served as chair of the council's Resources and Governance Scrutiny Committee as well as vice-chair of the Wythenshawe Community Housing Group. [9]
In 2023 Russell was nominated as a possible Labour candidate for Crewe and Nantwich at the 2024 General Election,Russell was unsuccessful and Connor Naismith was selected as the prospective Labour candidate. [10] [11]
Russell later became chair of the Congleton Labour Party. [12]
Ahead of the 2024 general election,Russell was selected as the prospective Labour candidate for Congleton. [5] She was elected as MP with 37.7% of the vote and a majority of 3,387 votes. [2] She overturned a majority of over 18,000 votes. [13]
Russell is married with three children and lives in Congleton. [14]