News / Politics
McCarthy: Now Bristol’s longest serving MP
In the last of Bristol24/7’s interviews with the city’s new or reelected parliamentarians, we meet Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy.
Kerry McCarthy is now the veteran of Bristol MPs. “It’s a strange feeling,” she says after helping her two new Labour colleagues get settled in Westminster.
“They (Thangam Debbonaire and Karin Smyth) have a lot on their plate – hiring staff, finding ministry offices and places to live in London – but I’ve just come straight back into my old office and it’s pretty much the same as before.”
McCarthy’s post in the shadow foreign office remains and she says she has some “unfinished business” to take care of. But after that she is hinting at a career move. “I’ve been here three years now and in a way there is only so much you can do, so I’ll be looking at moving on. But I’ll be sitting tight until a new leader is elected.”
Besides from her party work, she admits a lot of her energy will be “reacting” to Tory legislation which she fears will be far more damaging than in the last parliament. She strongly opposes the abolition of the Human Rights Act and said she will fight tooth and nail over the repeal of the hunting ban.
An anti-poverty agenda is her next goal in terms of pro-active work which she hopes can affect people in Bristol, which she feels has been neglected.
“East Bristol especially is very detached with the mayor’s agenda here. They’re not interested in closing off streets for waterslides. There are real issues, like poverty and fly-tipping. They are not sexy, but they are important.”
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