Samantha Dixon

Samantha Kate Dixon MBE (née Georgeson) is a British politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for the City of Chester since 2022. A member of the Labour Party, she was Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council from 2015 to 2019.

Early life

Samantha Kate Georgeson was born in Reading, Berkshire. Her family moved to Chester when she was four-years-old, and she has lived Hoole and Upton-by-Chester. She was educated at Christleton High School.

Dixon received a Batchelor of Arts in English literature from University of Sheffield in 1987. She worked for Sotheby's as a senior press officer from 1989 to 1997.

Political career

Local government career

Dixon was first elected to Cheshire West and Chester Council in 2011, representing Chester City and the Garden Quarter ward. She was re-elected in 2015 and 2019, but didn't seek election in 2023.

Labour won control of the council in 2015, and she was subsequently elected to become its first woman leader. She stood down as leader after the 2019 local elections, when Labour retained council leadership but lost their majority.

Dixon was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for 'political service'.

Parliamentary career

In October 2022, Dixon was selected as the Labour candidate for the City of Chester by-election. The by-election was triggered after the resignation of incumbent Labour MP Chris Matheson. One of her campaign pledges was to make the historic Chester Rows a World Heritage Site.

The by-election itself saw nine candidates, with 28,541 votes in total and a turnout of 41.2% of the local electorate. Dixon won with 60.8% of the vote, 17,309 votes, and a majority of 10,974. After her victory she said she would "fight Chester's corner" in Westminster.

She was sworn into the House of Commons on 5 December, and was welcomed to Parliament on 7 December by Keir Starmer and Labour MPs. She was also the first Member of Parliament to swear her Oath of Allegiance to Charles III.

Dixon was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, in February 2023. She was promoted to become an opposition whip in September of the same year.

Dixon intends to contest the new constituency of Chester North and Neston in the next general election.

Personal life

Dixon is married to Nicholas and has three children. Her recreations include knitting.