Sureena Brackenridge

Sureena Brackenridge
MP
Official portrait, 2024
Member of Parliament
for Wolverhampton North East
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded byJane Stevenson
Majority5,422 (16.3%)
Mayoress of Wolverhampton
In role
19 May 2021 – 18 May 2022
MayorGreg Brackenridge
Preceded byPaul Darke
Succeeded byKarl Samuels
Personal details
Born1974 or 1975 (age 51–52)
Wednesfield, West Midlands, England
PartyLabour
SpouseGreg Brackenridge
Children2
EducationWednesfield High School
Alma materUniversity of Wolverhampton (BSc)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • Teacher

Sureena Brackenridge (born 1975)[1] is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Wolverhampton North East since July 2024.[2][3]

Early life

Sureena Brackenridge was born and raised on the Ashmore Park council estate in Wednesfield.[1] Her parents, who are of Indian descent, had migrated from Fiji as young adults.[4]

Career

Teaching

Brackenridge obtained a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Wolverhampton.[5] She then volunteered at the Molineux Study Centre, working with teenagers from severely disadvantaged backgrounds[5] and later obtained a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Wolverhampton.[5]

Brackenridge worked in local secondary schools as a science teacher, before becoming deputy head teacher at Moseley Park school.[6]

Political

Brackenridge was selected as the Labour Party candidate for Wolverhampton North East in November 2022.[7] She was elected as the MP for Wolverhampton North East in the 2024 general election with a majority of 5,422 votes.[2][8] She made her maiden speech on 25 July[4] and was appointed to the Education Select Committee in October 2024.[9]

In November 2024, Brackenridge voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.[10]

She has made parliamentary contributions on education, apprenticeship and training issues; supporting Free Breakfast Clubs[11] and VAT on independent schools.[12]

Brackenridge backed calls from Jamie Oliver to improve how schools identify and support children with dyslexia.[13] She was among those to contribute to the Channel 4 programme Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution,[14] where she argued the answer was "better teacher training, not an hour after a very busy school day. It's not rocket science, but with a change in culture... we can do this”.[13][14]

In June 2025, Brackenridge led a Public and Westminster Hall debate on deprived / disadvantaged neighbourhoods.[15][16] In September 2025, the government announced the second phase of the ‘Pride in Place / Plan for Neighbourhoods' programme, allocating £3.38 billion targeting these areas.[17] Brackenridge’s constituency received an allocation of the funding.[18]

Personal life

Sureena Brackenridge is married to Greg Brackenridge, who served as the 162nd Mayor of Wolverhampton from 2021 to 2022; Sureena was the mayoress of Wolverhampton during his tenure.[19] They have two children together.[20]

In September 2024, it emerged that Brackenridge's husband, Greg Brackenridge, had falsely claimed to be a Royal Marines veteran in election material for Wolverhampton City Council and in statements to the media throughout his political career including after being elected. Brackenridge subsequently faced scrutiny over her inclusion of the same false claims regarding his military service in her own election material during her parliamentary campaign.[21]

References

  1. 1 2 Madeley, Peter (2022-11-25). "Wolverhampton deputy headteacher to fight for Labour target seat at next general election". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  2. 1 2 "UK general election results live: Keir Starmer says 'time for us to deliver' as Nigel Farage becomes MP". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  3. ↑ "UK Election: Record Number Of Indian-Origin MPs". NDTV.
  4. 1 2 "Code of Conduct and Modernisation Committee Volume 752: debated on Thursday 25 July 2024". UK Parliament Hansard. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 WCR FM, Retrieved From X (2025-04-01). "Inside Tracks with Sureena Brackenridge MP and Tim Beech". WCR FM, Retrieved from X. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  6. ↑ "About". Sureena Brackenridge. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  7. ↑ Neame, Katie (2022-11-21). "Six more Labour parliamentary candidates selected over the weekend". LabourList. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  8. ↑ "Wolverhampton North East | General Election 2024 | Sky News". election.news.sky.com. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  9. ↑ "Education Committee membership appointed - Committees - UK Parliament". committees.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2025-04-05.
  10. ↑ "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading - Commons' votes in Parliament - UK Parliament". votes.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 2025-03-29. Retrieved 2025-04-07.
  11. ↑ "Breakfast Clubs: Early Adopters - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. 2025-10-04. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
  12. ↑ "VAT: Independent Schools - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. 2025-10-04. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
  13. 1 2 "Wolverhampton MP backs Jamie Oliver dyslexia campaign". BBC News. 2025-06-09. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  14. 1 2 "Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution". Channel 4. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  15. ↑ Brackenridge, Sureena (2025-06-03). "Political Opinion: Why I am leading a debate on neighbourhoods in Parliament". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  16. ↑ "Westminster Hall - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. 2025-09-27. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  17. ↑ "Pride in Place Programme phase 2: methodology note". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  18. ↑ Andrews, Mark (2025-09-25). "Wolverhampton MP's joy as area secures £20 million funding over next 10 years". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
  19. ↑ "Councillor Brackenridge elected as new Mayor of Wolverhampton | City Of Wolverhampton Council". www.wolverhampton.gov.uk. 2021-05-20. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  20. ↑ Madeley, Peter (2022-11-25). "Wolverhampton deputy headteacher to fight for Labour target seat at next general election". www.expressandstar.com. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  21. ↑ https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/wolverhampton-mp-spotlight-after-councillor-32415091

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