Sureena Brackenridge | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament forWolverhampton North East | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Jane Stevenson |
| Majority | 5,422 (16.3%) |
| Mayoress of Wolverhampton | |
| In role 19 May 2021 – 18 May 2022 | |
| Mayor | Greg Brackenridge |
| Preceded by | Paul Darke |
| Succeeded by | Karl Samuels |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1974 or 1975 (age 50–51) Wednesfield,West Midlands, England |
| Party | Labour |
| Spouse | Greg Brackenridge |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Wednesfield High School |
| Alma mater | University of Wolverhampton (BSc) |
| Occupation |
|
Sureena Brackenridge (born 1975)[1] is a BritishLabour Party politician who has served asMember of Parliament (MP) forWolverhampton North East since July 2024.[2][3]
Sureena Brackenridge was born and raised on theAshmore Park Council estate inWednesfield.[1] Her parents, who are of Indian descent, had migrated fromFiji as young adults.[4]
Brackenridge obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from theUniversity 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 theUniversity of Wolverhampton.[5]
Brackenridge worked in local secondary schools as a science teacher, before becoming deputy head teacher atMoseley Park school.[6]
Brackenridge was selected as the Labour Party candidate forWolverhampton North East in November 2022.[7] She was elected as the MP for Wolverhampton North East in the2024 general election with a majority of 5,422 votes.[2][8] She made hermaiden speech on 25 July[4] and was appointed to theEducation Select Committee in October 2024.[9]
In November 2024, Brackenridge voted against theTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.[10]
She has made parliamentary contributions on education, apprenticeship and training issues; supportingFree Breakfast Clubs[11] andVAT onIndependent Schools.[12]
Brackenridge backed calls fromJamie Oliver to improve how schools identify and support children withdyslexia.[13] She was among those to contribute to theChannel 4 programmeJamie'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 ondeprived /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’sconstituency received an allocation of the funding.[18]
Sureena Brackenridge is married to Greg Brackenridge, who served as the 162ndMayor of Wolverhampton from 2021 to 2022; Sureena was the Mayoress of Wolverhampton during his tenure.[19] They have two children together.[20]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous: Jane Stevenson | Member of Parliament forWolverhampton North East 2024–present | Incumbent |
Media related toSureena Brackenridge at Wikimedia Commons