26 Facts About Sam Tarry

Samuel Peter Tarry is a British former politician who was the Member of Parliament for Ilford South from 2019 until 2024.

Sam Tarry was a member of the Socialist Campaign Group parliamentary caucus.

Samuel Tarry was born on 27 August 1982 in Westminster.

Sam Tarry acquired his first job at the age of 15 as a cleaner at Redbridge College, and later worked at Sainsbury's to help pay for his studies at University College London.

From 2009 to 2011, Sam Tarry was the Chair of Young Labour, the youth wing of the Labour Party.

Sam Tarry went on to be active in anti-fascism, including working as a Community Organiser for Hope not Hate.

Sam Tarry was a Labour Party councillor for Chadwell Heath ward, in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, from 2010 to 2018.

Sam Tarry was criticised for allegedly living in his home in Brighton, which is 70 miles away from his then council seat in Barking and Dagenham.

Sam Tarry was investigated by police for electoral fraud in relation to this matter, and was cleared by the police investigation, as he was found to own a second home in Barking and Dagenham, and therefore was legally resident in Barking and Dagenham at the time of his election.

In 2016 Sam Tarry worked under Jon Lansman's supervision as a director of Jeremy Corbyn's successful Labour Party leadership campaign.

Sam Tarry subsequently worked as the national political officer for the TSSA trade union, and served as the president of a thinktank, the Centre for Labour and Social Studies.

In 2017 Sam Tarry stood for selection to be the Labour parliamentary candidate for the Labour-held seat of Hull West and Hessle.

Sam Tarry was the favourite to be selected, because of his relationship with Corbyn.

In 2019, Sam Tarry stood for selection to be the Labour parliamentary candidate for Ilford South, previously held by Mike Gapes.

Sam Tarry's campaign was jointly run by GMB and Momentum.

Sam Tarry was appointed to the Transport Select Committee, on which he has been credited as being a "passionate advocate for public ownership".

Sam Tarry joined the Socialist Campaign Group of left-wing Labour MPs.

Sam Tarry further stated, "As someone who has worked with many interfaith groups and organisations, including Searchlight and Hope not Hate, specifically to fight antisemitism and racism, this is something I care deeply about and would never seek to downplay".

From April 2020 until January 2021 Sam Tarry was a parliamentary private secretary to Ed Miliband in the Shadow Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy team, and as part of the parliamentary team of Angela Rayner, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, when he was appointed to the role of Shadow Minister for Buses and Local Transport.

Sam Tarry said in a TV interview that workers should receive a pay rise in line with inflation, though Labour policy was that pay increases should be based on negotiation.

However, his sacking was criticised by trade union leaders, and Sam Tarry wrote in a newspaper opinion piece that "failing to join the striking rail workers on a picket line would have been an abject dereliction of duty for me as a Labour MP".

Sam Tarry said the murder of Zara Aleena in July 2022 in Ilford was "incredibly shocking" and called on the local community to "all [pull] together".

Sam Tarry said the case was a "shameful failure" of the probation service.

On 10 October 2022 a reselection vote was held, which Sam Tarry lost to local council leader Jas Athwal by 361 votes to 499.

Sam Tarry has been an advocate for drug checking at concerts and harm reduction measures in festival settings.

Sam Tarry married paediatrician Julia Fozard in 2016, and they have two sons.