35 Facts About Kerry McCarthy

Kerry Gillian McCarthy was born on 26 March 1965 and is a British politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Bristol East since 2005.

Kerry McCarthy has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Climate since July 2024.

Kerry McCarthy studied at the University of Liverpool reading Russian studies, before studying law at City of London Polytechnic.

Kerry McCarthy was a director of London Luton Airport Ltd, a director at Britain in Europe, and Head of Public Policy at the Waterfront Partnership.

Kerry McCarthy began a doctorate on Labour links with the City of London at Goldsmiths' College, but did not complete it.

Kerry McCarthy was a councillor in Luton, and was a member of Labour's National Policy Forum.

In 2005, Kerry McCarthy was selected as the Labour candidate for Bristol East through an all-women shortlist and retained the seat for her party at the 2005 general election.

Kerry 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.

Kerry McCarthy has 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.

Kerry McCarthy was 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".

Kerry McCarthy is 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 among Labour MPs in parliament.

Kerry McCarthy was re-elected at the 2010 General Election, with her majority reduced by more than a half.

Kerry McCarthy was appointed as an acting Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions in May 2010 with responsibility for disability.

Kerry McCarthy supported Ed Balls in the 2010 Labour leadership election, and became a junior Shadow Treasury Minister following Ed Miliband's election in October 2010.

In September 2011, Kerry McCarthy was made Shadow Foreign Office Minister with a responsibility for East Asia, South Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and human rights.

On World Vegan Day in November 2011, Kerry McCarthy became the first MP to set out in Parliament the case for becoming vegan.

Kerry McCarthy is believed to be the first MP to deliver a speech in Parliament with the aid of an iPad.

Kerry McCarthy was appointed by Jeremy Corbyn as Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in September 2015.

On 26 June 2016, Kerry McCarthy was among dozens of shadow ministers who resigned from Corbyn's team.

Kerry McCarthy argued that "a new leader is needed to take on the challenges ahead".

Kerry McCarthy did not believe Corbyn was the right Labour leader or a potential prime minister.

Kerry McCarthy supported Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour leadership election.

In November 2017, Kerry McCarthy raised a complaint of inappropriate behaviour against Kelvin Hopkins, Labour MP for Luton North, which remained unresolved at the time Hopkins stepped down as an MP before the 2019 General Election.

Kerry McCarthy nominated Keir Starmer in the 2020 Labour leadership election, and was appointed Shadow Green Transport Minister following his election in April 2020.

Kerry McCarthy stepped down from the front bench owing to 'personal reasons' in Autumn 2021.

On 29 June 2022 Kerry McCarthy returned to the Labour frontbench as Shadow Minister for Climate Change following the resignation of Olivia Blake.

In May 2024, Kerry McCarthy introduced a ten minute rule bill requiring the Government to identify and support children with a parent in prison.

Kerry McCarthy stated the claim had been made in error.

In October 2010, Kerry 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, and apologised for this action.

In May 2012, Kerry McCarthy branded a fellow train passenger a "lager drinking oaf" and suggested he should "have been killed before he could breed" in comments made to her followers on Twitter.

Kerry McCarthy is a vegan, and has given talks on the subject.

Kerry McCarthy was a presenter at the Vegan Society's 2005 annual awards.

Kerry McCarthy divides her time between Bristol and London, and is a part-owner of a house in Luton.

Kerry McCarthy is a vice-president of the League Against Cruel Sports, and an honorary associate of the National Secular Society.

Kerry McCarthy has written about industrial bands including Cabaret Voltaire and Test Dept for the website Louder Than War.