Background
She was born Sarah Louise Macaree, the daughter of a defence worker of Scottish descent.
Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom
She was born Sarah Louise Macaree, the daughter of a defence worker of Scottish descent.
She was educated at Portsmouth High School.
McCarthy-Fry was the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury in the Labour government of Gordon Brown. She worked for the multi-national defence engineering company GKN Westland at Portsmouth, and most recently as financial controller for GKN Aerospace at Cowes, Isle of Wight. Her job included spells working abroad in Germany and the United States.
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.
McCarthy-Fry 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, McCarthy-Fry was made Parliamentary Private Secretary to John Healey, Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
In Prime Minister Gordon Brown"s cabinet reshuffle in 2007, she was made Parliamentary Private Secretary to Geoff Hoon, Chief Whip.
On 5 October 2008, she was promoted to become 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 it was assumed that the government no longer had education as a priority.
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 Editor Balls campaign for leadership of the Labour party.
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. Concern over Royal Navy ships British Broadcasting Corporation News
Upset over Boris Johnson British Broadcasting Corporation News.
She qualified as a chartered accountant in 2004, and came to prominence in local politics leading a neighbourhood group, Ban the Burner successfully opposing a proposed incinerator. She is a member of Amicus and of the Company-operative Party.
54th United Kingdom Parliament.
