Tarry was born in August 1982 in Westminster and grew up in Dagenham. He has commented that he attended Highlands Primary School, Redbridge and that his first job was as a cleaner at Redbridge College. In 1999 as a student, Tarry participated in an interfaith project in Israel consisting of 24 British, Israeli and Palestinian teenagers, included pupils from Newham College, King Solomon High School, Ursuline School, Canon Palmer School and St Edward's Academy in Chadwell Heath. The project "aimed to work towards reconciliation between Christians, Jews and Muslims during the 10-day visit to Israel." He is a previous chairman of Young Labour and was also a community organiser for advocacy group Hope not Hate in Dagenham. Tarry served as the Labour Party councillor for Chadwell Heath ward on the Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council from 2010 to 2018 while living in Brighton. Prior to his election to Parliament, Tarry was the national political officer for the TSSA trade union, and the president of the left-wing think tank, Centre for Labour and Social Studies. During his campaign work for Hope not Hate, Tarry played a lead role in the defeat of the British National Party in Barking and Dagenham. He describes how "over 1500 individuals joined the campaign trail alongside hundreds of local residents, churchgoers, trade unionists, community groups and party members to deliver the most resounding electoral defeat of the far right in modern times – Labour 51-BNP 0." Nick Lowles of Hope Not Hate, with whom Tarry worked, has described Tarry as "one of the most decent and committed anti-racists I know."
Parliamentary career
Tarry was selected as the Labour candidate for Ilford South on 22 October 2019. His selection as the Labour candidate for Ilford South was controversial as, local Redbridge Council leader Jas Athwal, considered the front-runner in the contest, was suspended from the party on the evening before members were due to vote. Tarry was subsequently selected in a vote a few weeks later, with Athwal excluded from the ballot. He was elected as Ilford South MP in the 2019 general election with a majority of 24,101. The constituency was previously represented by Mike Gapes who left Labour to join Change UK in February 2019. After being elected to Parliament, Tarry was appointed to the Transport Select Committee, on which he has been credited as being a "passionate advocate for public ownership" He also joined the Socialist Campaign Group of left-wing Labour MPs. He has used his position in Parliament to advocate for the Labour party to appeal to working class and northern communities, claiming in the 2020 Labour leadership election that Keir Starmer would be unsuited to the role of Leader, because of his "North London lawyer" image. Tarry subsequently endorsed Rebecca Long-Bailey in the contest.
Controversy
During the 2019 general election, Tarry sparked controversy for claiming that "people associated with the Labour Party have sought to exploit the issue just because they don’t agree with Jeremy Corbyn over an issue of foreign policy", which was thought to allude to antisemitism claims in Labour being made maliciously by those who disagreed with Corbyn's foreign policy position on Israel. The Jewish Labour Movement labelled his comments "a tired old trope that the EHRC inquiry is motivated by a desire to smear Corbyn" and considered Tarry's comments "beyond disappointing" Tarry rebutted allegations that his comments were antisemitic or sought to downplay it, stating that antisemitism "is something I care deeply about and would never seek to downplay." In January 2020, Tarry faced renewed criticism over his stance on antisemitism, after he refused to condemn a motion, widely reported as antisemitic, passed at a branch of the Labour Party in Ilford South. The motion about the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the largest Jewish communal organisation in the UK, accused it of being "consistent in its support for the Conservative Party". At the meeting, members against the motion were reportedly called "agents of a foreign power". Tarry responded by claiming that "there are conflicting accounts of what happened and what was said. The allegations are very serious and should be looked at carefully. If any allegation is upheld, there should be absolutely zero tolerance." He later added: "Having now seen the motion, and spoken to several members who were in attendance at the meeting, I’ve asked that any complaints go through the party’s formal channels to ensure that this matter is dealt with thoroughly and impartially."
Personal life
Tarry is married to paediatrician Dr. Julia Fozard who works in Brighton.
