Gareth Snell

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Gareth Snell

| honorific-suffix = MP

| image = Official portrait of Gareth Snell crop 2.jpg

| office = Member of Parliament
for Stoke-on-Trent Central

| term_start = 4 July 2024

| predecessor = Jo Gideon

| majority = 6,409 (18.2%)

| term_start1 = 23 February 2017

| term_end1 = 6 November 2019

| predecessor1 = Tristram Hunt

| successor1 = Jo Gideon

| office2 = Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council

| term_start2 = 16 May 2012

| term_end2 = 4 June 2014

| predecessor2 = Stephen Sweeney

| successor2 = Mike Stubbs

| office3 = Member of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council

| 1blankname3 = Ward

| 1namedata3 = Silverdale and Parksite

| term_start3 = 4 August 2016

| term_end3 = 6 May 2018

| predecessor3 = Eileen Braithwaite

| successor3 = Ward abolished

| 1blankname4 = Ward

| 1namedata4 = Knutton and Silverdale

| term_start4 = 6 May 2010

| term_end4 = 22 May 2014

| predecessor4 = Richard Gorton

| successor4 = Derrick Huckfield

| website = {{Official URL}}

| birth_name = Gareth Craig Snell

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|1|1|df=y}}

| birth_place = Stowmarket, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| spouse = {{marriage|Ruth Smeeth|2025}}

| party = Labour Co-op

| alma_mater = Keele University

| caption = Official portrait, 2017

}}

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,{{cite web|author=Paul Geater|date=27 February 2017|title="Suffolk lad" Labour MP Gareth Snell starts his Westminster career|url=http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/suffolk-lad-labour-mp-gareth-snell-starts-his-westminster-career-1-4907355|work=East Anglian Daily Times|access-date=3 June 2017|archive-date=7 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107105924/https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/suffolk-lad-labour-mp-gareth-snell-starts-his-westminster-career-2320510|url-status=live}} and graduated from Keele University in 2008 after studying History and Politics.{{Cite web|title=2017, Keele University|url=https://www.keele.ac.uk/spgs/newsandevents/news/newsarchive/2017/garethsnell.php|access-date=2021-06-07|website=Keele University|language=en|archive-date=26 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526175320/https://www.keele.ac.uk/spgs/newsandevents/news/newsarchive/2017/garethsnell.php|url-status=live}}

Snell served as general secretary of the Students' Union and founded Keele Labour Students.{{Cite web |title=The former student leaders entering Parliament |url=https://wonkhe.com/blogs/the-student-leaders-that-could-be-about-to-enter-parliament/ |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=Wonkhe |language=en-GB}}

In May 2025, Snell married former Labour MP and Life Peer Ruth Smeeth in Gibraltar.{{Cite web |title=Love on the Rock- UK MPs tie the knot |url=https://www.gbc.gi/news/love-on-the-rock-mps-tie-the-knot |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation |language=en}}

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.{{Cite web|title=Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council Election Results 1973-2012|url=http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Newcastle-under-Lyme-1973-2012.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=25 February 2017|archive-date=26 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226051931/http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Newcastle-under-Lyme-1973-2012.pdf}} He was elected as the Leader of the Council after Labour won a majority at the 2012 local elections.{{Cite web|date=2012-05-16|title=Agenda for Council on Wednesday, 16th May, 2012, 7.00 pm|url=https://moderngov.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=152&MeetingId=1661|access-date=2021-06-07|website=moderngov.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk|language=en|archive-date=7 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607015243/https://moderngov.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=152&MeetingId=1661|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite web|title=Local Elections Archive Project - 2014 - Newcastle-under-Lyme|url=https://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/results/2014/326/|access-date=2021-06-07|website=www.andrewteale.me.uk|archive-date=7 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607015243/https://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/results/2014/326/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=2014-06-04|title=Agenda for Council on Wednesday, 4th June, 2014, 7.00 pm|url=https://moderngov.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=152&MId=2217&Ver=4|access-date=2021-06-07|website=moderngov.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk|language=en|archive-date=7 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607015245/https://moderngov.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=152&MId=2217&Ver=4|url-status=live}} 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.{{Cite news|date=2016-08-05|title=Former council leader returns to council after by-election win|language=en|newspaper=Stoke Sentinel|url=http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/former-leader-gareth-snell-returns-to-newcastle-borough-council-for-labour-after-by-election/story-29588455-detail/story.html|access-date=2017-02-24}}

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.{{Cite web|last=Edwards|first=Peter|title=Stoke-on-Trent members select former council chief to tackle UKIP in by-election|url=https://labourlist.org/2017/01/stoke-members-select-former-council-chief-for-by-election/|access-date=2021-06-07|website=LabourList|date=25 January 2017 |language=en-GB|archive-date=7 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607015243/https://labourlist.org/2017/01/stoke-members-select-former-council-chief-for-by-election/|url-status=live}} Held on 23 February, he won the seat with a reduced vote share but saw off a challenge from UKIP leader Paul Nuttall.{{cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/labour-defeats-ukip-paul-nuttall-in-stoke-on-trent-central-by-election-gareth-snell-2017-2|title=Labour defeats UKIP leader Paul Nuttall in Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election|last=Bienkov|first=Adam|date=24 February 2017|website=Business Insider|access-date=2020-04-13|archive-date=6 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506040205/https://www.businessinsider.com/labour-defeats-ukip-paul-nuttall-in-stoke-on-trent-central-by-election-gareth-snell-2017-2|url-status=live}}

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.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000972|title=Stoke-on-Trent Central parliamentary constituency - Election 2017|publisher=|via=www.bbc.co.uk|access-date=22 June 2018|archive-date=13 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013065132/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000972|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite web | url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/gareth-snell-stoke-on-trent-labour-general-election-a4312451.html | title=Labour candidate blasts leadership as he predicts losing his seat | date=13 December 2019 }}

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,{{cite web|last=Elgot|first=Jessica|date=2017-02-13|title=Labour's Stoke byelection candidate apologises for offensive tweets aimed at women|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/feb/13/labour-stoke-byelection-candidate-gareth-snell-apologises-offensive-tweets-women|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=2017-02-24|archive-date=22 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222084639/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/feb/13/labour-stoke-byelection-candidate-gareth-snell-apologises-offensive-tweets-women|url-status=live}} but opposed a second referendum and supported an exit deal to avoid leaving without one.{{Cite web|last=Corrigan|first=Phil|date=2019-06-13|title=City MP Gareth Snell: "I should have voted for Theresa May's Brexit deal"|url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/city-mp-gareth-snell-i-2974127|access-date=2021-06-07|website=StokeonTrentLive|language=en|archive-date=7 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607015253/https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/city-mp-gareth-snell-i-2974127|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Snell|first=Gareth|title=Gareth Snell: Why I voted against Labour's motion this week|url=https://labourlist.org/2019/06/gareth-snell-why-i-voted-against-labours-motion-this-week/|access-date=2021-06-07|website=LabourList|date=14 June 2019 |language=en-GB|archive-date=7 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607015244/https://labourlist.org/2019/06/gareth-snell-why-i-voted-against-labours-motion-this-week/|url-status=live}}

= 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.{{Cite web|last=Snell|first=Gareth|title=Gareth Snell LinkedIn|url=https://uk.linkedin.com/in/gareth-snell-b21455176}}