Margaret Hodge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Baroness Hodge of Barking DBE PC
Official portrait, 2020
Chair of the Public Accounts Committee
In office 10 June 2010 – 30 March 2015
Preceded by	Edward Leigh
Succeeded by	Meg Hillier
Minister of State for Culture and Tourism
In office 22 September 2009 – 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Barbara Follett
Succeeded by	John Penrose
In office 27 June 2007 – 3 October 2008
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	David Lammy
Succeeded by	Barbara Follett
Minister of State for Industry and the Regions
In office 5 May 2006 – 27 June 2007
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Alun Michael
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Minister of State for Work
In office 9 May 2005 – 5 May 2006
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Jane Kennedy
Succeeded by	Jim Murphy
Minister of State for Children
In office 13 June 2003 – 9 May 2005
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Maria Eagle
Minister of State for Universities
In office 11 June 2001 – 13 June 2003
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Tessa Jowell
Succeeded by	Alan Johnson
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Disabled People
In office 29 July 1998 – 11 June 2001
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Paul Boateng
Succeeded by	Maria Eagle
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 August 2024 Life peerage
Member of Parliament for Barking
In office 9 June 1994 – 30 May 2024
Preceded by	Jo Richardson
Succeeded by	Nesil Caliskan
Personal details
Born	Margaret Eve Oppenheimer (1944-09-08) 8 September 1944 (age 80) Alexandria, Egypt
Political party	Labour
Spouses	Andrew Watson ​ ​ (m. 1968; div. 1978)​ Henry Hodge ​ ​ (m. 1978; died 2009)​
Children	4
Education	London School of Economics (BA) Bedford College, London

Margaret Eve Hodge, Baroness Hodge of Barking DBE PC (born 8 September 1944), is a British politician. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Barking from 1994 to 2024.

Margaret Hodge is a member of the Labour Party. She was the leader of Islington London Borough Council from 1982 to 1992. She also held several important jobs in the government. From 2010 to 2015, she was the chair of the Public Accounts Committee. In 2024, she became a life peer in the House of Lords.

Early Life and Education

Margaret Hodge was born on 8 September 1944 in Alexandria, Egypt. Her parents, Hans and Lisbeth Oppenheimer, were Jewish refugees. Her father helped start a steel trading company called Stemcor.

In 1948, her family moved to Orpington, Kent, in the UK. Margaret's mother passed away when she was 10 years old. Margaret went to Bromley High School and Oxford High School. She later studied at the London School of Economics, graduating in 1966.

Early Career and Local Government Role

From 1966 to 1971, Margaret Hodge worked in market research and public relations. Later, from 1992 to 1994, she was a senior consultant at Price Waterhouse.

Serving on Islington Council

Margaret Hodge became a councillor for the London Borough of Islington in 1973. She was in charge of the Housing Committee starting in 1975. This was a very important job because housing was a big issue in London at that time.

In 1982, the Labour Party won many seats on the council, and Margaret Hodge became the Council Leader. She held this position until 1992. During her time as leader, the council faced challenges, including disagreements with the government over spending limits.

Parliamentary Career

Margaret Hodge became a MP for Barking in a special election on 9 June 1994. She continued to represent Barking until 2024.

Government Roles and Responsibilities

Margaret Hodge held several important roles in the government:

• In 1998, she became a Junior Minister for Disabled People.
• In 2001, she was promoted to Minister for Universities.
• In 2003, she became the first ever Children's Minister. This role involved looking after special education, early years education, childcare, and child welfare.
• In 2005, she became Minister of State for Work.
• From 2007 to 2008, and again from 2009 to 2010, she served as Minister of State for Culture, Creative Industries, and Tourism.

Work with the Public Accounts Committee

On 10 June 2010, Margaret Hodge was chosen by other MPs to lead the Public Accounts Committee. This committee checks how the government spends public money. Under her leadership, the committee was known for asking tough questions to government officials.

Her family's company, Stemcor, was mentioned in reports about tax arrangements. Margaret Hodge stated that she had no role in managing the company and always paid all her taxes correctly. She left her role as chair of the Public Accounts Committee in 2015.

Reviewing the Garden Bridge Project

In 2016, the Mayor of London asked Margaret Hodge to look into the Garden Bridge project. She had to check if the project was good value for money for taxpayers. Her report, published in 2017, suggested that it would be better to cancel the project to avoid more costs to the public.

Life in the House of Lords

In 2021, Margaret Hodge announced that she would not run for MP again. After the 2024 general election, she was given a life peerage. This means she became a member of the House of Lords for life. She officially joined the House of Lords on 4 September 2024, as Baroness Hodge of Barking.

Personal Life

Margaret Hodge married Andrew Watson in 1968, and they had two children. They divorced in 1978. Later that year, she married Henry Hodge, who became a High Court Judge. They had two more daughters. Henry Hodge passed away in 2009. Margaret Hodge describes herself as a secular Jew.

Honours and Awards

Margaret Hodge has received several honours for her public service:

• In 1978, she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
• In 2015, she was promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).
• In 2013, she was made a freeman of the City of London.