Sarah McCarthy-Fry
Encyclopedia
Sarah McCarthy-Fry is a British
Labour Co-operative politician
, who was the Member of Parliament
for Portsmouth North from 2005
to 2010. McCarthy-Fry was the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
in the last Labour government.
at Portsmouth, and most recently as financial controller for GKN Aerospace at Cowes
, Isle of Wight
. Her job has included spells working abroad in Germany and the United States. She qualified as a chartered accountant
in 2004. She came to prominence in local politics leading a neighbourhood group, Ban the Burner successfully opposing a proposed incinerator. She was elected to Portsmouth City Council in 1994, chaired the environment committee, and was deputy leader for five years from 1995-2000, remaining with the council until 2002. She is a member of Amicus
and of the Co-operative Party
.
In 2006 Sarah was made PPS to John Healey
, Financial Secretary to the Treasury
. In Prime Minister
Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle in 2007, Sarah was made PPS to Geoff Hoon
, Chief Whip
. She was then promoted on 5 October 2008, when she became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
in the Department for Children, Schools and Families
replacing Lord Adonis; who was moved from Education to Transport a controversial move that brought about much speculation in the press afterward; as Adonis was seen to be a key education reformer and in removing him from a post he flourished in it signified that the government no longer had education at the top of their agenda. McCarthy-Fry was moved to the Department for Communities and Local Government
in the June 2009 reshuffle.
On 17 June 2009, she was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, replacing Kitty Ussher
after her resignation. She was at the Department for Communities and Local Government for just one week.
At the general election on 6 May 2010 she lost her seat to the Conservative
candidate Penny Mordaunt
.
Along with Anne Snelgrove she co-ordinated Ed Balls
campaign for leadership of the Labour party.
, and her hobbies include tap-dancing, dog walking
and amateur dramatics.
Sarah McCarthy-Fry (born 4 February 1955) is a British
Labour Co-operative politician
, who was the Member of Parliament
for Portsmouth North from 2005
to 2010. McCarthy-Fry was the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
in the last Labour government.
at Portsmouth, and most recently as financial controller for GKN Aerospace at Cowes
, Isle of Wight
. Her job has included spells working abroad in Germany and the United States. She qualified as a chartered accountant
in 2004. She came to prominence in local politics leading a neighbourhood group, Ban the Burner successfully opposing a proposed incinerator. She was elected to Portsmouth City Council in 1994, chaired the environment committee, and was deputy leader for five years from 1995-2000, remaining with the council until 2002. She is a member of Amicus
and of the Co-operative Party
.
In 2006 Sarah was made PPS to John Healey
, Financial Secretary to the Treasury
. In Prime Minister
Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle in 2007, Sarah was made PPS to Geoff Hoon
, Chief Whip
. She was then promoted on 5 October 2008, when she became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
in the Department for Children, Schools and Families
replacing Lord Adonis; who was moved from Education to Transport a controversial move that brought about much speculation in the press afterward; as Adonis was seen to be a key education reformer and in removing him from a post he flourished in it signified that the government no longer had education at the top of their agenda. McCarthy-Fry was moved to the Department for Communities and Local Government
in the June 2009 reshuffle.
On 17 June 2009, she was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, replacing Kitty Ussher
after her resignation. She was at the Department for Communities and Local Government for just one week.
At the general election on 6 May 2010 she lost her seat to the Conservative
candidate Penny Mordaunt
.
Along with Anne Snelgrove she co-ordinated Ed Balls
campaign for leadership of the Labour party.
, and her hobbies include tap-dancing, dog walking
and amateur dramatics.
Sarah McCarthy-Fry (born 4 February 1955) is a British
Labour Co-operative politician
, who was the Member of Parliament
for Portsmouth North from 2005
to 2010. McCarthy-Fry was the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
in the last Labour government.
at Portsmouth, and most recently as financial controller for GKN Aerospace at Cowes
, Isle of Wight
. Her job has included spells working abroad in Germany and the United States. She qualified as a chartered accountant
in 2004. She came to prominence in local politics leading a neighbourhood group, Ban the Burner successfully opposing a proposed incinerator. She was elected to Portsmouth City Council in 1994, chaired the environment committee, and was deputy leader for five years from 1995-2000, remaining with the council until 2002. She is a member of Amicus
and of the Co-operative Party
.
In 2006 Sarah was made PPS to John Healey
, Financial Secretary to the Treasury
. In Prime Minister
Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle in 2007, Sarah was made PPS to Geoff Hoon
, Chief Whip
. She was then promoted on 5 October 2008, when she became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
in the Department for Children, Schools and Families
replacing Lord Adonis; who was moved from Education to Transport a controversial move that brought about much speculation in the press afterward; as Adonis was seen to be a key education reformer and in removing him from a post he flourished in it signified that the government no longer had education at the top of their agenda. McCarthy-Fry was moved to the Department for Communities and Local Government
in the June 2009 reshuffle.
On 17 June 2009, she was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, replacing Kitty Ussher
after her resignation. She was at the Department for Communities and Local Government for just one week.
At the general election on 6 May 2010 she lost her seat to the Conservative
candidate Penny Mordaunt
.
Along with Anne Snelgrove she co-ordinated Ed Balls
campaign for leadership of the Labour party.
, and her hobbies include tap-dancing, dog walking
and amateur dramatics.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
Labour Co-operative politician
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
, who was the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Portsmouth North from 2005
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
to 2010. McCarthy-Fry was the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury is a junior ministerial post in the British Treasury, ranked below the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Paymaster General and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, and alongside the Economic Secretary to the Treasury....
in the last Labour government.
Early life
She was born Sarah Louise Macaree, the daughter of a defence worker of Scottish descent. Fry is the name of her first husband, McCarthy of her second. She was educated at Portsmouth High School. She worked for the multi-national defence engineering company GKN WestlandGKN
GKN plc is a multinational automotive and aerospace components company headquartered in Redditch, United Kingdom. The company was formerly known as Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds and can trace its origins back to 1759 and the birth of the Industrial Revolution.GKN is listed on the London Stock...
at Portsmouth, and most recently as financial controller for GKN Aerospace at Cowes
Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. Her job has included spells working abroad in Germany and the United States. She qualified as a chartered accountant
Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
in 2004. She came to prominence in local politics leading a neighbourhood group, Ban the Burner successfully opposing a proposed incinerator. She was elected to Portsmouth City Council in 1994, chaired the environment committee, and was deputy leader for five years from 1995-2000, remaining with the council until 2002. She is a member of Amicus
Amicus
Amicus was the United Kingdom's second-largest trade union, and the largest private sector union, formed by the merger of Manufacturing Science and Finance, the AEEU agreed in 2001, and two smaller unions, UNIFI and the GPMU...
and of the Co-operative Party
Co-operative Party
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...
.
Political career
She tried to be selected for the seat in 1997, and later became Syd Rapson's campaign manager. Her main political interests are trade and industry, defence and the social economy. She campaigned in favour of identity cards after a constituency survey indicated a large majority in favour of them, and stressed her support in her maiden speech.In 2006 Sarah was made PPS to John Healey
John Healey
John Healey is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Wentworth and Dearne since 1997, and former Minister of State for Housing and Planning. In 2010 he was elected to the shadow cabinet and appointed shadow health secretary...
, Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the British Treasury. It is the 4th most significant Ministerial role within the Treasury after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and the Paymaster General...
. In Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle in 2007, Sarah was made PPS to Geoff Hoon
Geoff Hoon
Geoffrey "Geoff" William Hoon is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Ashfield from 1992 to 2010...
, Chief Whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
. She was then promoted on 5 October 2008, when she became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
in the Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
replacing Lord Adonis; who was moved from Education to Transport a controversial move that brought about much speculation in the press afterward; as Adonis was seen to be a key education reformer and in removing him from a post he flourished in it signified that the government no longer had education at the top of their agenda. McCarthy-Fry was moved to the Department for Communities and Local Government
Department for Communities and Local Government
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001...
in the June 2009 reshuffle.
On 17 June 2009, she was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, replacing Kitty Ussher
Kitty Ussher
Katharine Anne "Kitty" Ussher is a British economist and former Labour Party politician.After training as an economist, she was elected Member of Parliament for Burnley from 2005 until 2010, succeeding Peter Pike. Ussher formerly held the position of Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury in Gordon...
after her resignation. She was at the Department for Communities and Local Government for just one week.
At the general election on 6 May 2010 she lost her seat to the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
candidate Penny Mordaunt
Penny Mordaunt
Penelope Mary Mordaunt MP is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North since winning the seat at the 2010 United Kingdom general election. She previously stood unsuccessfully for the same seat in the 2005 election.- Biography :Mordaunt's...
.
Along with Anne Snelgrove she co-ordinated Ed Balls
Ed Balls
Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
campaign for leadership of the Labour party.
Expenses controversy
In May 2009 the Daily Telegraph revealed that McCarthy-Fry had attempted to claim for a £100 set of hair straighteners on her expenses, though the claim was refused. Items the taxpayer did fund include £333 worth of bedding and a sewing box. She also received a salary of £95,617.Personal life
Sarah married her second husband Tony McCarthy in 1997 and they have four grown-up children. She is a fan of The WhoThe Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, and her hobbies include tap-dancing, dog walking
Dog walking
Dog walking is both a pastime and a profession involving the act of a person walking with a dog, typically from the dog's residence and then returning. This constitutes part of the daily exercise regime needed to keep a dog healthy...
and amateur dramatics.
External links
- They Work For You
- Guardian biography
- Kaupthing Involvement
- Voting record at the Public Whip
- BBC Politics page
- Meet the MP at the BBC
News items
- Concern over Royal Navy ships BBC News
- Upset over Boris Johnson BBC News
Sarah McCarthy-Fry (born 4 February 1955) is a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
Labour Co-operative politician
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
, who was the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Portsmouth North from 2005
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
to 2010. McCarthy-Fry was the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury is a junior ministerial post in the British Treasury, ranked below the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Paymaster General and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, and alongside the Economic Secretary to the Treasury....
in the last Labour government.
Early life
She was born Sarah Louise Macaree, the daughter of a defence worker of Scottish descent. Fry is the name of her first husband, McCarthy of her second. She was educated at Portsmouth High School. She worked for the multi-national defence engineering company GKN WestlandGKN
GKN plc is a multinational automotive and aerospace components company headquartered in Redditch, United Kingdom. The company was formerly known as Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds and can trace its origins back to 1759 and the birth of the Industrial Revolution.GKN is listed on the London Stock...
at Portsmouth, and most recently as financial controller for GKN Aerospace at Cowes
Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. Her job has included spells working abroad in Germany and the United States. She qualified as a chartered accountant
Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
in 2004. She came to prominence in local politics leading a neighbourhood group, Ban the Burner successfully opposing a proposed incinerator. She was elected to Portsmouth City Council in 1994, chaired the environment committee, and was deputy leader for five years from 1995-2000, remaining with the council until 2002. She is a member of Amicus
Amicus
Amicus was the United Kingdom's second-largest trade union, and the largest private sector union, formed by the merger of Manufacturing Science and Finance, the AEEU agreed in 2001, and two smaller unions, UNIFI and the GPMU...
and of the Co-operative Party
Co-operative Party
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...
.
Political career
She tried to be selected for the seat in 1997, and later became Syd Rapson's campaign manager. Her main political interests are trade and industry, defence and the social economy. She campaigned in favour of identity cards after a constituency survey indicated a large majority in favour of them, and stressed her support in her maiden speech.In 2006 Sarah was made PPS to John Healey
John Healey
John Healey is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Wentworth and Dearne since 1997, and former Minister of State for Housing and Planning. In 2010 he was elected to the shadow cabinet and appointed shadow health secretary...
, Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the British Treasury. It is the 4th most significant Ministerial role within the Treasury after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and the Paymaster General...
. In Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle in 2007, Sarah was made PPS to Geoff Hoon
Geoff Hoon
Geoffrey "Geoff" William Hoon is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Ashfield from 1992 to 2010...
, Chief Whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
. She was then promoted on 5 October 2008, when she became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
in the Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
replacing Lord Adonis; who was moved from Education to Transport a controversial move that brought about much speculation in the press afterward; as Adonis was seen to be a key education reformer and in removing him from a post he flourished in it signified that the government no longer had education at the top of their agenda. McCarthy-Fry was moved to the Department for Communities and Local Government
Department for Communities and Local Government
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001...
in the June 2009 reshuffle.
On 17 June 2009, she was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, replacing Kitty Ussher
Kitty Ussher
Katharine Anne "Kitty" Ussher is a British economist and former Labour Party politician.After training as an economist, she was elected Member of Parliament for Burnley from 2005 until 2010, succeeding Peter Pike. Ussher formerly held the position of Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury in Gordon...
after her resignation. She was at the Department for Communities and Local Government for just one week.
At the general election on 6 May 2010 she lost her seat to the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
candidate Penny Mordaunt
Penny Mordaunt
Penelope Mary Mordaunt MP is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North since winning the seat at the 2010 United Kingdom general election. She previously stood unsuccessfully for the same seat in the 2005 election.- Biography :Mordaunt's...
.
Along with Anne Snelgrove she co-ordinated Ed Balls
Ed Balls
Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
campaign for leadership of the Labour party.
Expenses controversy
In May 2009 the Daily Telegraph revealed that McCarthy-Fry had attempted to claim for a £100 set of hair straighteners on her expenses, though the claim was refused. Items the taxpayer did fund include £333 worth of bedding and a sewing box. She also received a salary of £95,617.Personal life
Sarah married her second husband Tony McCarthy in 1997 and they have four grown-up children. She is a fan of The WhoThe Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, and her hobbies include tap-dancing, dog walking
Dog walking
Dog walking is both a pastime and a profession involving the act of a person walking with a dog, typically from the dog's residence and then returning. This constitutes part of the daily exercise regime needed to keep a dog healthy...
and amateur dramatics.
External links
- They Work For You
- Guardian biography
- Kaupthing Involvement
- Voting record at the Public Whip
- BBC Politics page
- Meet the MP at the BBC
News items
- Concern over Royal Navy ships BBC News
- Upset over Boris Johnson BBC News
Sarah McCarthy-Fry (born 4 February 1955) is a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
Labour Co-operative politician
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
, who was the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Portsmouth North from 2005
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
to 2010. McCarthy-Fry was the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury is a junior ministerial post in the British Treasury, ranked below the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Paymaster General and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, and alongside the Economic Secretary to the Treasury....
in the last Labour government.
Early life
She was born Sarah Louise Macaree, the daughter of a defence worker of Scottish descent. Fry is the name of her first husband, McCarthy of her second. She was educated at Portsmouth High School. She worked for the multi-national defence engineering company GKN WestlandGKN
GKN plc is a multinational automotive and aerospace components company headquartered in Redditch, United Kingdom. The company was formerly known as Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds and can trace its origins back to 1759 and the birth of the Industrial Revolution.GKN is listed on the London Stock...
at Portsmouth, and most recently as financial controller for GKN Aerospace at Cowes
Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. Her job has included spells working abroad in Germany and the United States. She qualified as a chartered accountant
Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
in 2004. She came to prominence in local politics leading a neighbourhood group, Ban the Burner successfully opposing a proposed incinerator. She was elected to Portsmouth City Council in 1994, chaired the environment committee, and was deputy leader for five years from 1995-2000, remaining with the council until 2002. She is a member of Amicus
Amicus
Amicus was the United Kingdom's second-largest trade union, and the largest private sector union, formed by the merger of Manufacturing Science and Finance, the AEEU agreed in 2001, and two smaller unions, UNIFI and the GPMU...
and of the Co-operative Party
Co-operative Party
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...
.
Political career
She tried to be selected for the seat in 1997, and later became Syd Rapson's campaign manager. Her main political interests are trade and industry, defence and the social economy. She campaigned in favour of identity cards after a constituency survey indicated a large majority in favour of them, and stressed her support in her maiden speech.In 2006 Sarah was made PPS to John Healey
John Healey
John Healey is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Wentworth and Dearne since 1997, and former Minister of State for Housing and Planning. In 2010 he was elected to the shadow cabinet and appointed shadow health secretary...
, Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a junior Ministerial post in the British Treasury. It is the 4th most significant Ministerial role within the Treasury after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and the Paymaster General...
. In Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle in 2007, Sarah was made PPS to Geoff Hoon
Geoff Hoon
Geoffrey "Geoff" William Hoon is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Ashfield from 1992 to 2010...
, Chief Whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
. She was then promoted on 5 October 2008, when she became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
A Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the government of the United Kingdom, junior to both a Minister of State and a Secretary of State....
in the Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
replacing Lord Adonis; who was moved from Education to Transport a controversial move that brought about much speculation in the press afterward; as Adonis was seen to be a key education reformer and in removing him from a post he flourished in it signified that the government no longer had education at the top of their agenda. McCarthy-Fry was moved to the Department for Communities and Local Government
Department for Communities and Local Government
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001...
in the June 2009 reshuffle.
On 17 June 2009, she was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, replacing Kitty Ussher
Kitty Ussher
Katharine Anne "Kitty" Ussher is a British economist and former Labour Party politician.After training as an economist, she was elected Member of Parliament for Burnley from 2005 until 2010, succeeding Peter Pike. Ussher formerly held the position of Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury in Gordon...
after her resignation. She was at the Department for Communities and Local Government for just one week.
At the general election on 6 May 2010 she lost her seat to the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
candidate Penny Mordaunt
Penny Mordaunt
Penelope Mary Mordaunt MP is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North since winning the seat at the 2010 United Kingdom general election. She previously stood unsuccessfully for the same seat in the 2005 election.- Biography :Mordaunt's...
.
Along with Anne Snelgrove she co-ordinated Ed Balls
Ed Balls
Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
campaign for leadership of the Labour party.
Expenses controversy
In May 2009 the Daily Telegraph revealed that McCarthy-Fry had attempted to claim for a £100 set of hair straighteners on her expenses, though the claim was refused. Items the taxpayer did fund include £333 worth of bedding and a sewing box. She also received a salary of £95,617.Personal life
Sarah married her second husband Tony McCarthy in 1997 and they have four grown-up children. She is a fan of The WhoThe Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, and her hobbies include tap-dancing, dog walking
Dog walking
Dog walking is both a pastime and a profession involving the act of a person walking with a dog, typically from the dog's residence and then returning. This constitutes part of the daily exercise regime needed to keep a dog healthy...
and amateur dramatics.
External links
- They Work For You
- Guardian biography
- Kaupthing Involvement
- Voting record at the Public Whip
- BBC Politics page
- Meet the MP at the BBC
News items
- Concern over Royal Navy ships BBC News
- Upset over Boris Johnson BBC News