She graduated with a BA in Modern History & Politics from Royal Holloway College in 1976 and has worked for the Labour Party since 1978.

She was special adviser to Harriet Harman when Leader of the Commons and John Prescott as Deputy Prime Minister.

During Harman's 2010 tenure as interim Leader of the Labour Party, she served as her chief of staff.

[1] She has also worked for Jack Cunningham, Mo Mowlam, and The Lord Macdonald of Tradeston.

She was created a life peer in the 2010 Dissolution Honours, taking the title Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill, of Primrose Hill in the London Borough of Camden, on 19 July 2010.