Sarah Russell (politician)

Sarah Alison Russell 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.

Russell is a solicitor and a former councillor in Manchester.

Early life and career
Russell studied politics at the University of York, graduating in 2004. 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 Pattison & 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.

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.

Political career
Between 2014 and 2023, Russell represented Northenden ward as a councillor on Manchester City Council. She served as chair of the council's Resources and Governance Scrutiny Committee as well as vice-chair of the Wythenshawe Community Housing Group.

Russell later became chair of the Congleton Labour Party.

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.

Personal life
Russell is married with three children and lives in Congleton.