Kerry McCarthy
| Kerry McCarthy MP | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Bristol East |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 5 May 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Jean Corston |
| Majority | 3,722 (8.3%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 March 1965 Luton, Bedfordshire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Residence | Bristol and London |
| Alma mater | University of Liverpool |
| Website | Official website |
Kerry Gillian McCarthy[1] (born 26 March 1965) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bristol East since 2005.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
McCarthy was born in Luton to Irish parents Oliver Haughney and Sheila Rix.[2] She attended the single sex Denbigh High School followed by Luton Sixth Form college. MacCarthy went to Liverpool University reading Russian Studies, she then studied law at City of London Polytechnic. McCarthy began a doctorate on Labour links with the City at Goldsmith's College, though did not complete it.[3]
She was a councillor in Luton and for a short period of time volunteered in the Legal Department of the Labour Party. She was also a member of the Labour's National Policy Forum. She is a qualified solicitor.
[edit] Parliamentary career
In 2005, McCarthy was selected as the Labour candidate for Bristol East through an all-women shortlist.[4] She continued to stand, and was elected in the 2005 general election.
McCarthy was appointed a member of the Treasury Select Committee, and was involved in its inquiries into financial inclusion, globalisation and the role of the International Monetary Fund, and the administration of tax credits. She has also sat on two Finance Bill committees, as well as the UK Borders Bill Committee, the Offender Management Bill Committee and the Mental Health Bill Committee. She is described as a Gordon Brown loyalist, stating in 2005 that "The Chancellor's nine Budgets are the bedrock of all that we have achieved in government".[3]
In April 2007, McCarthy was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Rosie Winterton, Minister for Health Services, and helped her steer the Mental Health Bill through the Commons. From July 2007 to January 2009, she worked as the PPS to Douglas Alexander, the Secretary of State for International Development, before being made a Junior Whip in June 2009.[5]
She is also chair of the South West Group of Labour MPs, secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Somaliland, a member of Labour's National Policy Forum, and lead contact for the End Child Poverty campaign amongst Labour MPs in parliament. She has not voted against the party line since March 2007.[5]
She was re-elected at the 2010 General Election, with her majority reduced by more than a half.[6] She was appointed as a temporary shadow Minister for work and pensions[7] until October 2010 when she was appointed as a junior shadow Minister to the Treasury.[8][9] McCarthy had supported Ed Balls' unsuccessful bid to become Labour leader.[10]
She is believed to be the first MP to deliver a speech in Parliament with the aid of an iPad.[11]
On World Vegan Day in November 2011, McCarthy became the first MP to set out the case for becoming vegan in Parliament.[12]
[edit] Controversies
In May 2009 McCarthy repaid £402 for a second bed claimed in expenses for her one bedroom flat. She stated the claim had been made in error.[13][14]
In October 2010 McCarthy admitted a charge of electoral fraud, accepting a police caution for revealing on Twitter the number of postal votes cast per party in her constituency at the 2010 election. McCarthy apologised for her actions.[8][15][16][17][18]
[edit] Personal life
McCarthy is a vegan, and has given talks on the subject and was a presenter at the Vegan Society's 2005 annual awards.[19] She lives in Bristol and London and also part owns property in Luton.[20]
[edit] References
- ^ "List of Members returned to serve in Parliament at the General Election 2010". London Gazette. 2010-05-13. http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/59418/notices/1118281/from=2010-05-06;to=2010-05-19;all=returned+westminster/. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
- ^ Dod's parliamentary companion - Google Books
- ^ a b The Almanac of British Politics - Google Books
- ^ UK Parliament website
- ^ a b "Voting Record — Kerry McCarthy". The Public Whip. http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Kerry_McCarthy&mpc=Bristol_East&house=commons. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
- ^ ukpollingreport.co.uk » Bristol East
- ^ "Democracy Live – Your representatives – Kerry McCarthy". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/representatives/profiles/39440.stm.
- ^ a b "Bristol Labour MP cautioned for electoral fraud". BBC News. 25 October 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-11621053.
- ^ Shadow minister cautioned for election tweeting - politics.co.uk
- ^ MP chooses sides in Labour leadership battle
- ^ "MP reads speech from iPad in Commons first". The Telegraph. 29 March 2011. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/uk-politics-video/8413351/MP-reads-speech-from-iPad-in-Commons-first.html. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
- ^ Kerry McCarthy MP leads debate on World Vegan Day, ePolitix.com, November 1 2011.
- Also see Kerry McCarthy MP video and full transcript (columns 895 - 904), World Vegan Day, Adjournment Debate, House of Commons, 10.27 pm - 10.56 pm, 1 November 2011.
- ^ Swinford, Steven; Warren, Georgia (24 May 2009). "Duck island MP says his birds never liked it". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6350646.ece.
- ^ Kerry McCarthy (May 22, 2009). "MP expenses Keri McCarthy £402 on second bed". This is Bristol. http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Bristol-MP-claimed-second-bed-bedroom-flat/article-1014679-detail/article.html. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
- ^ "Labour MP cautioned over Twitter election gaffe". The Daily Telegraph (London). 26 October 2010. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/8086073/Labour-MP-cautioned-over-Twitter-election-gaffe.html.
- ^ Batty, David (29 April 2010). "Police investigate Labour candidate's Twitter postal vote gaffe". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/apr/29/labour-candidate-apologises-twitter-vote. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
- ^ "Police probe Twitter votes gaffe by Bristol candidate". BBC Online. 29 April 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/england/8652724.stm. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
- ^ "Postal vote tweet". Twitter. 29 April 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5pM9i9fE4. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
- ^ "BBC - Bristol - Made In Bristol - Vegan vote for Bristol firms". BBC News. 28 October 2005. http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2005/10/27/vegan_feature.shtml. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
- ^ Kerry McCarthy MP, Bristol East (TheyWorkForYou.com)
[edit] External links
- Kerry McCarthy's blog
- Kerry McCarthy on Twitter
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
- Electoral history and profile at The Guardian
- Voting record at PublicWhip.org
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.com
- Profile at Westminster Parliamentary Record
- Profile at BBC News Democracy Live
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jean Corston |
Member of Parliament for Bristol East 2005–present |
Incumbent |
- 1965 births
- Living people
- Politics of Bristol
- Labour Party (UK) MPs
- Election fraud
- English vegans
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies
- British female MPs
- Female members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies
- UK MPs 2005–2010
- UK MPs 2010–
- Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London
- Alumni of the University of Liverpool
- Councillors in Bedfordshire
- People from Luton
- English people of Irish descent
