Barry has been a Member of Parliament for Brent North since May 1997. He has made a huge impact in Parliament in a number of areas and has championed changes to laws which have adversely affected his constituents. Barry is one of Westminster’s hardest-working politicians and has always completely thrown himself into every issue and position he has been afforded.

The range of positions within Government departments that Barry has held has given him a diverse set of interests. He has worked across Whitehall in the Home Office, the Northern Ireland Office, the Department of Trade and Industry, theDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Lord Mandelson.

India

Barry has been at the forefront of issues regarding India throughout his time as an MP. He established the Labour Friends of India group in 1999 and is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group UK - India Trade & Investment Group. As of 2010 Barry chairs both Labour Friends of India and the APPG UK-India Trade & Investment. Barry regularly visits India and was invited to address the Vibrant Gujarat Summit last year.

Fireworks

Barry campaigned for a Parliamentary Bill to introduce legislation to regulate the use of fireworks. The Control of Fireworks Act deals with all the problems associated with misuse of fireworks - from disruption of sleep to anti-social behaviour and cruelty to animals. The regulations prohibit the possession of fireworks by those under 18 years old and a curfew has been set up from 11 pm until 7 am although an exemption will allow the use of fireworks in organised public displays within these times.

Environment

Barry has always been concerned about climate change and this was reinforced when he became Minister for Biodiversity. He created a Coastal Access Zone where people can swim, rock climb, walk and pond dip with uninterrupted views of the UK’s magnificent coastline. As the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Forestry he campaigned hard for the introduction of tighter regulation on logging both at UK and European level.

As Chair of GLOBE's International Commission on Land Use Change and Ecosystems Barry regularly attends International summits on climate change, energy efficiency and the protection of the environment.

Leasehold Reform

Barry has been very committed to leasehold reform the entire time he has been an MP. He has tirelessly campaigned for change to protect leasehold tenants. He forced through the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act to bring about justice for tenants. Thirty one Bills to reform leasehold had been introduced since 1884. Barry’s was one of the only three ever to become law.

Economy

Barry’s past experience in the City of London running his own company has given a solid foundation on the issues surrounding the economy. He pressed the Treasury to include the UK’s natural resources in its financial assets as the Treasury would not be able to ‘bail out’ shattered natural ecosystems as they have the banks. Other countries have developed accounts for their natural resources and Barry `put pressure on the Government to do the same in the UK.

Expenses

Barry has always felt it was important to publish his expenses for public scrutiny long before the expenses scandal of 2009 hit. He was one of the few MPs that published what he claimed on his website every year before the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) was established. IPSA has now introduced more transparent rules for all MPs, you can visit their website by clicking here.

If you would like to read more about Barry's expenses before 2010 click here..