Sarah Russell (politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Sarah Russell

| honorific-suffix = MP

| image = Official portrait of Sarah Russell MP crop 2.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Official portrait, 2024

| office = Member of Parliament
for Congleton

| term_start = 4 July 2024

| term_end =

| predecessor = Fiona Bruce

| majority = 3,387 (6.8%)

| birth_date =

| birth_name =

| birth_place =

| residence = Congleton, Cheshire, England

| party = Labour

| alma_mater =

| spouse =

| children = 3

| website =

}}

Sarah Alison Russell{{Cite web |title=Sarah Russell - Candidate for Congleton in UK Parliamentary general election |url=https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/person/46006/sarah-russell |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=Democracy Club Candidates }} is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Congleton since 2024. She is the first Labour politician to represent Congleton, having defeated the incumbent Conservative MP Fiona Bruce.{{Cite web |title=Congleton General Election 2024 |url=https://election.news.sky.com/elections/general-election-2024/congleton-159 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240705051039/https://election.news.sky.com/elections/general-election-2024/congleton-159 |archive-date=5 July 2024 |access-date=5 July 2024 |work=Sky News}}{{Cite news |last=Watterson |first=Kaleigh |date=5 July 2024 |title=Historic wins for Labour in Cheshire |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2q0k73zpl0o |access-date=6 July 2024 |publisher=BBC News}}

Russell is a solicitor and a former councillor in Manchester.{{cite news|title=Labour names election candidate|date=21 March 2024|newspaper=Congleton Chronicle|page=Front Page}}{{Cite news |date=18 April 2024|last=Watterson |first= Kaleigh|title=Congleton: Former city councillor to stand for Cheshire seat |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c84dmmgv0jxo |access-date=2024-07-06 |publisher=BBC News}}

Early life and career

Russell studied politics at the University of York, graduating in 2004.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=17 February 2023 |title=My legal life: Sarah Russell, Fox Whitfield |url=https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/my-legal-life/my-legal-life-sarah-russell-fox-whitfield/5115169.article |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=Law Gazette}} 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. She then worked for several years at Slater & Gordon before moving to Fox Whitfield and Rebel Law Ltd to work as a consultant solicitor.{{Cite web |title=Sarah Alison Russell - The Law Society |url=https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/person/63792/sarah-alison-russell |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk}}{{Cite web |title=Sarah Russell |url=http://www.foxwhitfield.com/team/sarah-russell/ |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=Employment Lawyers in Manchester, Bristol, Southampton, Cheshire, North Yorkshire - Fox Whitfield}}

Russell has also worked as a supervising solicitor at the Equality and Employment Law Centre. She served as a trustee of Benchill Community Centre and was a school governor at Rackhouse Primary.{{CN|date=July 2024}}

Political career

Between 2014 and 2023, Russell represented Northenden ward as a councillor on Manchester City Council.{{CN|date=July 2024}} She served as chair of the council's Resources and Governance Scrutiny Committee as well as vice-chair of the Wythenshawe Community Housing Group.{{Cite web |title=One to watch – Sarah Russell, vice-chair, Wythenshawe Community Housing Group |url=https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/one-to-watch--sarah-russell-vice-chair-wythenshawe-community-housing-group-73020 |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=Inside Housing}}

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.{{cite news|last=Parker|first=Ryan|title=Former Manchester councillor put forward as Crewe and Nantwich MP Labour candidate|url= https://crewe.nub.news/news/local-news/former-manchester-councillor-put-forward-as-crewe-and-nantwich-mp-labour-candidate-187875|department=Local News|date=13 June 2023|publisher=Crewe Nub News|access-date=23 April 2025}}{{Cite news |last=Watterson |first=Kaleigh |date=2023-07-03 |title=Labour select Connor Naismith as candidate for Crewe and Nantwich |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2jedg72xgzo |access-date=2025-04-23 |publisher=BBC News}}

Russell later became chair of the Congleton Labour Party.{{Cite web |title=Meet The Team |url=https://www.congletonlabourparty.co.uk/our-team |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=www.congletonlabourparty.co.uk}}

Ahead of the 2024 general election, Russell was selected as the prospective Labour candidate for Congleton. She was elected as MP with 37.7% of the vote and a majority of 3,387 votes. She overturned a majority of over 18,000 votes.{{Cite news |last=Ryan |first=Blinda |date=5 July 2024 |title=Silence from defeated Tory as Labour overturn 18k majority in Congleton upset |url=https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/silence-defeated-tory-labour-overturn-29484727 |access-date=23 April 2025 |publisher=CheshireLive}}

Personal life

Russell is married with three children and lives in Congleton.{{Cite web |title=Sarah Russell |url=https://www.congletonlabourparty.co.uk/sarah-russell |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=www.congletonlabourparty.co.uk}}