Mary Foy (politician)

Mary Kelly Foy (born 27 February 1968) is a British Labour Party politician. She was first elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the City of Durham in the 2019 general election. She is also a councillor on Gateshead Council.
Early life and education.
Foy was born in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear and grew up on a council estate. She is the second of five children and her grandparents were Irish immigrants. Her father is a former shipyard worker who lost his job in the 1980s under Margaret Thatcher's premiership. Foy has a degree in Social sciences, which she gained as a mature student.
Career.
Foy is a member of both UNISON and Unite the Union. She was a Community Development Worker for Durham City CVS from 2006 to 2013, and a parliamentary assistant to former Jarrow MP Stephen Hepburn. She was elected to represent Lamesley ward (named after the area of the same name on Gateshead Council in 2006, and has been a cabinet member for health and wellbeing since 2009. She is a local party chair for Blaydon and a regional representative of Labour's National Policy Forum. A socialist and on the left of the party, Foy's bid was backed by several unions. She is a member of Labour's Socialist Campaign Group.
On 15 October 2020, Foy resigned as PPS to Andy McDonald to vote against the proposed Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill, disagreeing with the Labour whip to abstain.
Personal life.
Foy has three children: Maria, Kieran and Siobhán. Maria had cerebral palsy and died in 2015.