Dean Russell

For the Anglican priest known in South Australia as Dean Russell, see Alexander Russell (priest).

Dean Russell
Official portrait, 2020
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Enterprise and Markets
In office 20 September 2022 – 27 October 2022
Prime Minister	Liz Truss
Preceded by	Jane Hunt
Succeeded by	Kevin Hollinrake
Member of Parliament for Watford
In office 12 December 2019 – 30 May 2024
Preceded by	Richard Harrington
Succeeded by	Matt Turmaine
Personal details
Born	(1976-05-08) 8 May 1976 (age 48) Birmingham, West Midlands, England[1]
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	De Montfort University
Website	www.deanrussell.co.uk

Dean Russell FRSA (born 8 May 1976) is a British politician and author who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Watford from the 2019 general election until the 2024 general election.^[1][2][3] A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Enterprise and Markets for 37 days in 2022.^[4][5]

Early life and professional career

Dean Russell was born on 8 May 1976 in Birmingham and attended Park Hall School in Castle Bromwich.^[1] 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.^[6]

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.^[7] 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.^[8]

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.^[9]

Since being elected, Russell has become a member of the Health & Social Care Select Committee and the Joint Committee on Human Rights.^[10] 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.^[11] In November 2021, he was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.^[12]

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 The bill was withdrawn before its Second Reading.^[13] In June 2022, after the Business Minister, Paul Scully, reassured Russell in Parliament that the UK Government would still support his bill,^[14] 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.^[15]

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.^[16]

On two separate occasions (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.^[17][18][19]

In the 2024 UK General Election, Russell was defeated by Labour's Matt Turmaine by 4,723 votes.^[3]

Personal life

He married Michelle in 2004 with whom he has a daughter.^[1]

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.^[20]

Bibliography

Russell has written five books.

Year	Title	Publisher	ISBN
2013	Mouse and the Moon Made of Cheese	Far Far Away Books and Media	978-1-9087-8670-8
2013	So Frog	Far Far Away Books and Media	978-1-9087-8668-5
2013	So Gorilla	Far Far Away Books and Media	978-1-9087-8681-4
2013	Is Daddy Home Yet?	Far Far Away Books and Media	978-1-9087-8678-4
2019	How to Win: The Ultimate Professional Pitch Guide	Epifny Consulting	978-1-9996-0240-6

References

1. "Russell, Dean, (born 8 May 1976), MP (C) Watford, since 2019". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2020. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u294109. ISBN 9780199540884. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
2. "Watford parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
3. "UK Parliamentary general election: The 7 candidates in Watford". whocanivotefor.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
4. "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Enterprise and Markets) – GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
5. "Dean Russell MP". GOV.UK. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
6. "Dean Russell". Watford. 6 January 2020.
7. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
8. "General election results 2017". m.luton.gov.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
9. "Watford Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
10. Dean Russell MP – Parliamentary Career. UK Parliament.
11. Dean Russell MP selected as Chair of the Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art. UK Parliament
12. "List of Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPS): December 2021". GOV.UK. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
13. Tips Bill – Private Members' Bill (Presentation Bill). UK Parliament.
14. Fairness at Work and Power in Communities – Volume 714: debated on Thursday 12 May 2022. Hansard.
15. Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill – Private Members' Bill (Ballot Bill). UK Parliament.
16. Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 – Government Bill. UK Parliament.
17. "First-Aid (Mental Health) Bill". UK Parliament. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
18. "First-Aid (Mental Health) Bill". UK Parliament. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
19. "Mental health first aid bill could cause unintended and negative consequences, experts warn". People Management. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
20. "Watford MP urges better awareness after surviving heart attack". BBC News. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.

External links

• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Richard Harrington	Member of Parliament for Watford 2019–2024	Succeeded by Matt Turmaine