Dean Russell

Dean Russell (born 8 May 1976) is a British politician and author who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Watford from the 2019 general election to 2024 general election. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Enterprise and Markets for 37 days in 2022.

Early life and professional career
Dean Russell was born on 8 May 1976 in Birmingham and attended Park Hall School in Castle Bromwich. He later graduated with a BSc in Physics and Business Studies and an MPhil in Physics and Material Science at the former polytechnic De Montfort University. He then worked in marketing with Bluewave.

Political career
At the 2015 general election, Russell stood in Luton North, coming second with 29.9% of the vote behind the incumbent Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins. He stood in Luton South at the snap 2017 general election, coming second with 32.3% of the vote behind the incumbent Labour MP Gavin Shuker.

Russell was elected to Parliament as MP for Watford at the 2019 general election with 45.5% of the vote and a majority of 4,433.

Since being elected, Russell has become a member of the Health & Social Care Select Committee and the Joint Committee on Human Rights. In October 2021, the Speaker of the House Sir Lindsay Hoyle appointed Russell as the Chair of the Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art. In November 2021, he was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

In June 2021, Russell presented the Tips Bill to Parliament. This bill would prohibit employers retaining tips and gratuities intended for staff and make provision about the division of tips and gratuities between staff. The bill was withdrawn before its Second Reading. In June 2022, after the Business Minister, Paul Scully, reassured Russell in Parliament that the UK Government would still support his bill, Russell presented the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill to Parliament. The bill was immediately granted a second reading in the House of Commons on 15 July 2022.

Between 2019 and 2021, Russell sat on the public committee during the committee stage of the Telecommunications (Security) Bill on its passage through the House of Commons. The Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 was given royal assent on 17 November 2021.

On two separate occaisions (March 2021 and January 2023) Russell has introduced a First-Aid (Mental Health) Bill under the Ten Minute Rule to make mental health first-aid part of first-aid training requirements in workplaces.

In the 2024 UK General Election, Russell was defeated by Labour's Matt Turmaine by 4,723 votes.

Personal life
He married Michelle in 2004 with whom he has a daughter.

In Prime Ministers Questions in January 2024, Russell shared how he had experienced a heart attack at the age of 47. He claims he recognised the symptoms due to his experience campaigning for the British Heart Foundation in 2009.