Corbyn’s mastermind and his mini property empire worth £900k
JEREMY Corbyn’s campaign mastermind has a property portfolio worth nearly £900,000 and works as a Labour councillor in London’s East End – despite owning a marital home 70 miles away in Brighton.
Rail union official Sam Tarry defended the embattled Labour leader last week when he denied that Mr Corbyn had lied about not being able to find a seat on a Virgin train.
A Mail on Sunday investigation reveals how Mr Tarry has combined a career as a hard-Left Labour activist, spin doctor, councillor and pro-strike rail union official with the more capitalist world of property.
Mr Tarry, 34, was investigated by police in 2014 over allegations of electoral fraud when he stood successfully as a council candidate in Barking and Dagenham.
Mr Tarry faced claims that he falsely stated he was living in Dagenham but was cleared.
Mr Tarry married paediatrician Julia Fozard, who works in Brighton, earlier this summer – a year after they bought a three-bedroom home in the town for £548,000. It is now worth an estimated £580,000. Mr Tarry and his wife’s other property is a threebedroom Dagenham flat they bought for £199,495 in April 2011. It is now worth an estimated £319,000.
When the MoS visited the flat, Mr Tarry came to the door. Asked if he lived there, he said: ‘I’ve probably been here 20 nights out of the past 30.’
When Ms Fozard was asked if her husband lived with her, she said: ‘I wish he did live here, but he doesn’t.’
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by either of the couple.
Mr Tarry is director of Corbyn’s bid to be re-elected as leader and a chief figure in Momentum, Corbyn’s hard-Left power base. He is also a paid official for the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association.