Christine Russell
Encyclopedia
Christine Margaret Russell (née Carr, born 25 March 1945, Holbeach
, Lincolnshire
) is a British
Labour Party
politician who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for the City of Chester from 1997
to 2010. She lost her seat to the Conservative Stephen Mosley
at the 2010 General Election.
. She was educated at the single-sex Spalding High School
. She studied at the Polytechnic of North West London (became the University of North London
), then went to the London School of Librarianship. She gained the Professional Librarianship Qualification. She worked as a librarian for the Borough of Camden
from 1967-70, the University of Glasgow
from 1970-1, and Dunbartonshire
County Council from 1971-3. From 1989-94, she worked for some MEP
s, then worked for MIND from 1994-7.
She was one of three councillors for College Ward on Chester City Council, until she resigned after the 1997 general election. She was expected to be elected as Lord Mayor of Chester had she not been elected to parliament.
At the 1997 general election
in an all-women shortlist as the Labour candidate for City of Chester. She was elected as Member of Parliament
in that election, unseating Gyles Brandreth
. In Parliament she became Parliamentary Private Secretary
(PPS) to Beverley Hughes
.
She had a majority of 915.
. They have a son and daughter and divorced in 1991.
Holbeach
Holbeach is a fenland market town with in the South Holland district of southern Lincolnshire, England. The town lies from Spalding; from Boston; from King's Lynn; from Peterborough; and a by road from the county town of Lincoln. It is on the junction of the A151 and A17...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
) is a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician who was the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the City of Chester from 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
to 2010. She lost her seat to the Conservative Stephen Mosley
Stephen Mosley
Stephen James Mosley is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the City of Chester since winning the seat at the 2010 general election.-Education:...
at the 2010 General Election.
Early life
She is a Lincolnshire farmer's daughter from South HollandSouth Holland, Lincolnshire
South Holland is a local government district of Lincolnshire. The district council is based in Spalding.It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the Spalding urban district with East Elloe Rural District and Spalding Rural District...
. She was educated at the single-sex Spalding High School
Spalding High School (United Kingdom)
Spalding High School is a female-only selective school with a sports college status: it also has a mixed sixth form. It has been known commonly as SHS.-Admissions:...
. She studied at the Polytechnic of North West London (became the University of North London
University of North London
The University of North London was a university in the United Kingdom from 1992 to 2002. On 1 August 2002, it merged with London Guildhall University to form London Metropolitan University. The former University of North London premises now form the new university's north campus, situated on...
), then went to the London School of Librarianship. She gained the Professional Librarianship Qualification. She worked as a librarian for the Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
from 1967-70, the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
from 1970-1, and Dunbartonshire
Dunbartonshire
Dunbartonshire or the County of Dumbarton is a lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Until 1975 it was a county used as a primary unit of local government with its county town and administrative centre at the town...
County Council from 1971-3. From 1989-94, she worked for some MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
s, then worked for MIND from 1994-7.
Parliamentary career
From 1992-1993, Russell served as Sheriff of Manchester.She was one of three councillors for College Ward on Chester City Council, until she resigned after the 1997 general election. She was expected to be elected as Lord Mayor of Chester had she not been elected to parliament.
At the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
in an all-women shortlist as the Labour candidate for City of Chester. She was elected as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in that election, unseating Gyles Brandreth
Gyles Brandreth
Gyles Daubeney Brandreth is a British writer, broadcaster and former Conservative Member of Parliament and junior minister.-Early life:...
. In Parliament she became Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
(PPS) to Beverley Hughes
Beverley Hughes
Beverley June Hughes, Baroness Hughes of Stretford is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Stretford and Urmston from 1997 to 2010. In 2004, she was appointed to the Privy Council...
.
She had a majority of 915.
Personal life
She married Dr James Russell in 1971 in HampsteadHampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
. They have a son and daughter and divorced in 1991.