[2] She was a Non Executive Director with the UK subsidiary of the fintech Revolut from 2020-23, and is a current NED at the local authority pension pooling company, London CIV.

Ussher resigned from her ministerial role in 2009 following her involvement in the United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal in which it was reported she had taken action on the advice of her accountants to reduce her capital gains tax liability.

[12] Ussher is the daughter of an Anglo-Irish lawyer father and a headmistress mother whose brother is Conservative MP, Peter Bottomley.

From 1998 to 2002, she also served as a councillor for Vassall ward in the London Borough of Lambeth, where she chaired the Council's Finance and Environment Scrutiny Committees.

In Gordon Brown's first reshuffle, she was appointed as City Minister, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, succeeding Ed Balls.

The timing of her appointment, as the first signs of the credit crunch appeared, meant that she was party to crucial meetings of the Tripartite Committee of Treasury, FSA and the Bank of England as the authorities dealt with the collapse of Northern Rock, the subsequent financial crisis and its legislative response.

[18][19] Her period in office also saw a review of the policy towards co-operatives and credit unions, to give them greater commercial freedom and ability to expand.

[24] In her resignation letter, Ussher claimed that she had done nothing wrong and that her actions were "in line with HM Revenue and Customs guidance and based on the advice of a reputable firm of accountants who in turn were recommended to me by the House of Commons fees office".

"[26] At the same time, Ussher announced that she would not contest the next election, citing the difficulties in reconciling her parental responsibilities with the working hours of Parliament, stating that this decision had preceded the expenses controversy.

[28] An investigation by Sir Thomas Legg into MPs' claims found that Ussher had breached the retrospectively-applied £11,000 limit for building work in her kitchen and ordered her to repay £1,271.65.

Her appeal against the ruling, on the grounds that the limit was not in place at the time the expenses were incurred, was rejected as being outside the scope of the terms of enquiry of Sir Thomas Legg's investigation.

[5] She then became a research fellow of the Smith Institute,[30] an associate at the Centre for London, a member of TheCityUK's Independent Economists' Panel, and a co founder of Labour in the City.