Labour MP Barking

Date of birth

8 September 1944

Political profile

When Margaret Hodge entered Parliament at a 1994 by-election, she carried with her a formidable reputation, having been the leader of Islington Council from 1982 to 1992.

During that time she was regularly held up in the media as an example of Labour's "loony left", because she led opposition to the Conservative policy of rate capping.

Nonetheless, pragmatism in the face of continued electoral defeat had led her to become a moderniser and she achieved a rapid rise within the Commons to become chair of the Commons education sub-committee in 1997.

She joined the Department for Education as a junior minister in 1998, where she was responsible for reforming pre-school education policy.

After the 2001 election, she won promotion within the department when she became minister for universities.

And in the June 2003 reshuffle she stayed at the education department, becoming the first minister for children.

Contact

haywoodmw@parliament.uk

Constituency office 0208 594 1333