Samuel Jonathan Rushworth (born 1984) is a

British Labour Party The Labour Party, often referred to as Labour, is a List of political parties in the United Kingdom, political party in the United Kingdom that sits on the Centre-left politics, centre-left of the political spectrum. The party has been describe ...

politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for

Bishop Auckland Bishop Auckland ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at the confluence of the River Wear and the River Gaunless in County Durham, England. It is northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham, England, Durham. M ...

since

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

. Rushworth grew up in

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

and studied economics at the

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

. He previously worked in international development and was involved with the Labour campaign for international development. Rushworth unsuccessfully contested Blackpool North and Cleveleys in

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

and Tatton in

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

before being elected as MP for

in the 2024 general election, winning 42.1% of the vote with a majority of 6,672. He is married with five children and is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Early life and education

Rushworth grew up in

, and was educated at Hodgson High School, a state secondary school in

Poulton-le-Fylde Poulton-le-Fylde (), commonly shortened to Poulton, is a market town in Lancashire, England, situated on the coastal plain called the Fylde. In the 2021 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 18,115. There is evidence of human habitatio ...

. He pursued higher education at the

, where he earned a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

(BA) degree in economics and social studies, specialising in development economics. Rushworth furthered his studies with a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

(MA) degree in

international development International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic development, economic or human development (economics), human development on an international sca ...

from the University of Manchester. He also holds a Diploma in Advanced Business French from the '' Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Paris'' and a

Master of Research A Master of Research ( abbr. MRes, MARes, MScRes, or MScR) degree is an internationally recognised advanced postgraduate research degree in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong. In most cases, the degree is designed to prepare s ...

(MRes) degree in education and international development from the

University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a Public university, public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus university, campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and twenty-six schools of ...

, where he later completed his PhD. His doctoral thesis, titled "''“Teacher, do you think I have a bright future?” - Anxiety and uncertainty in a Rwandan Catholic Secondary Boarding and Day School''", which offers an in-depth ethnographic study of Rwandan adolescents in a Catholic boarding school. His work focuses on the themes of anxiety and uncertainty in educational settings.

Early career

Rushworth's career began in various roles that laid the foundation for his future work in international development and education. He served as a Project Manager for Stockport Council and later as a Volunteering and Training Manager for the

British Red Cross The British Red Cross Society () is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with 1 ...

. He was Youth Club Manager at the Hamlet Centre and as an Associate Tutor at the

. Rushworth's work in international development began with his work at the Aegis Trust, an organization dedicated to the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities. He held multiple positions, including Head of Engagement, Director of Strategy, and Special Advisor to the Head of Strategy. He specialized in education and conflict prevention, developing and implementing strategies to promote peace and stability in conflict-affected regions. In 2017, Rushworth co-founded African Dreams Ltd, a consultancy focused on development projects in Rwanda, where he continues to serve as CEO. He also founded Our World Research & Consultancy Ltd, providing strategic advice and research services on global development issues. He also worked as a Lecturer at Macclesfield College of Further Education and has been involved in various research projects. Prior to becoming an MP he was the Programme Manager for the Strategic Research Fund at

Durham University Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...

, where he oversaw initiatives aimed at fostering innovative research and development.

Political career

Rushworth stood in the seats of Blackpool North and Cleveleys in

and Tatton in

. He was selected as the Labour Party's prospective parliamentary candidate for Bishop Auckland in 2022, a previously 'Red Wall' seat, but one of many that fell to the Conservatives at the 2019 General Election in 2022. He successfully contested the seat in the 2024 general election, winning 17,036 votes, or 42.1% of the overall vote, with a majority of 6,672. He was also the chair of Bishop Auckland Constituency Labour Party. He has served on the executive board of th
Labour Campaign for International Development
(LCID) and is known for his advocacy on issues such as child poverty. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rushworth and his family walked from coast to coast to raise funds for Children North East, a charity supporting disadvantaged children.

Personal life

Rushworth is married to Siobhain, and they have five children He is a member of the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian restorationist Christian denomination and the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement. Founded durin ...

and has worked with the church to bring delegations of women and youth from countries affected by interfaith conflict.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rushworth, Sam 1984 births Living people Alumni of the University of Manchester Alumni of the University of East Anglia People from Bishop Auckland Labour Party (UK) parliamentary candidates Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 2024–present British Latter Day Saints English Latter Day Saints