Sarah Pochin

Sarah Joanne Pochin (née Hyde,^{[citation needed]} born June 1969) is a British politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Runcorn and Helsby since a by-election in May 2025. She is Reform UK’s first female MP. She was previously the Mayor of Cheshire East and a local councillor, as well as a justice of the peace (JP).

Formerly a Conservative councillor who later sat as an independent member, she left the party and joined Reform UK. She currently holds the record for the smallest margin of victory in modern British by-election history, having overturned Labour's 14,700 majority from the 2024 general election by just six votes.

Born in June 1969, she was educated at Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls from 1980 to 1987,^{[failed verification]} a boarding and day private school. She then studied banking and finance at Loughborough University, graduating with a BSc in 1991.^{[failed verification]}

Pochin has lived in Cheshire for over 30 years. She served as a justice of the peace, and worked for Shell plc and Novar plc, and later in the DIY sector.

Pochin was reprimanded in 2018 by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) for misconduct during her tenure as a magistrate. The JCIO determined that Pochin used her judicial position to influence colleagues' views in a political context and breached confidentiality by publicising the complaint against her. The JCIO stated that her actions "fell below the standards expected of a magistrate". In 2025, Reform leader Nigel Farage said the allegations were politically motivated.

Pochin entered politics as a member of the Conservative Party, representing the Willaston and Rope ward after gaining the seat from scandal-ridden Brian Silvester of UKIP in the 2015 Cheshire East Council election. Pochin stood as the Conservative candidate in the Bolton South East constituency at the 2017 general election, where she was defeated by incumbent Labour MP, Yasmin Qureshi.In the 2019 Cheshire East Council election, Pochin stood for the Bunbury ward, where she was elected.

In March 2020, a rift occurred between Pochin and her Conservative colleagues on the council when she accepted the position of Mayor of Cheshire East, a role offered by the governing Labour-Independent administration. She took over the position following Mayor Barry Burkhill's role in the Handforth Town Council incident involving Jackie Weaver. This decision led to her suspension and subsequent expulsion from the Conservative Group on the council, as it was seen as a breach of party rules. Following her expulsion, Pochin continued to serve as an independent member of the council. Originally slated to become mayor during the 2020/21 municipal year, she instead assumed the role in 2021/22 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the postponement of the scheduled swearing-in ceremony.

In 2022, Pochin rejoined the Conservative Party to participate in the July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election. This move led to her suspension from the Cheshire East Independent Group, as it violated the group's rules against holding membership in political parties.