Meg Hillier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dame
Meg Hillier
DBE MP
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Chair of the Treasury Select Committee | |
| Assumed office 9 September 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Harriett Baldwin |
| Chair of the Public Accounts Committee | |
| In office 18 June 2015 – 30 May 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Margaret Hodge |
| Succeeded by | Geoffrey Clifton-Brown |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change | |
| In office 8 October 2010 – 7 October 2011 |
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| Leader | Ed Miliband |
| Preceded by | Ed Miliband |
| Succeeded by | Caroline Flint |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Identity | |
| In office 28 June 2007 – 12 May 2010 |
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| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Joan Ryan (Under-Secretary of State for Nationality, Citizenship and Immigration) |
| Succeeded by | Damian Green (Minister of State for Immigration) |
| Member of Parliament for Hackney South and Shoreditch |
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| Assumed office 5 May 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Brian Sedgemore |
| Majority | 14,737 (35.4%) |
| Member of the London Assembly for North East |
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| In office 4 May 2000 – 10 June 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Jennette Arnold |
| Mayor of Islington | |
| In office May 1998 – May 1999 |
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| Preceded by | Rupert Perry |
| Succeeded by | Jenny Sands |
| Islington Borough Councillor for Sussex Ward |
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| In office 5 May 1994 – 2 May 2002 |
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| Succeeded by | Ward abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Margaret Olivia Hillier
14 February 1969 Hampstead, London, England |
| Political party | Labour and Co-operative |
| Spouse | Joe Simpson |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | St Hilda's College, Oxford |
Dame Margaret Olivia Hillier (born 14 February 1969), known as Meg Hillier, is a British politician. She is a member of the Labour and Co-operative political party. Since 2005, she has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Hackney South and Shoreditch.
Meg Hillier was a junior government minister from 2007 to 2010. She also served as the Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. From 2015 to 2024, she was the chair of the Public Accounts Committee. Since September 2024, she has been the chair of the Treasury Select Committee.
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Early Life and Education
Meg Hillier was born on 14 February 1969 in Hampstead, England. She went to Portsmouth High School, a private school for girls. After that, she studied at St Hilda's College, Oxford at the University of Oxford. There, she studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.
Early Career in Public Service
Before becoming an MP, Meg Hillier worked as a journalist. She also worked in social housing media. In 1994, she became a Councillor in the London Borough of Islington. She represented the Sussex ward.
From 1998 to 1999, she served as the Mayor of Islington. She left the Council in 2002. In 2000, she was elected as a founding member of the London Assembly. She represented North East London until 2004. She also served on the board of Transport for London.
Parliamentary Journey
In 2004, Meg Hillier was chosen to be the Labour candidate for Hackney South and Shoreditch. She was elected to the House of Commons in the 2005 general election. She won with 52.9% of the votes.
Her first speech in Parliament was on 24 May 2005. She noted that there were more men in the House of Commons that day than there had ever been women MPs.
Government Roles
From 2006, Hillier served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary. This role supports a senior minister. In June 2007, she became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office. This is a junior minister position.
In March 2008, she voted with the government to close Post Offices across the country. This included seven in her local area of Hackney. In December 2009, she was promoting the National Identity Card scheme. She admitted she had forgotten her own ID card.
Re-elections and Committee Work
Meg Hillier was re-elected as MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch in the 2010 and 2015 general elections. Each time, she won with an even larger share of the votes.
In June 2015, she was elected to chair the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). This committee checks how the government spends public money. She was considered one of the most influential people in the NHS in 2016. As chair, she often spoke out about government spending.
Views on Major Events
During the 2016 EU referendum, Meg Hillier supported the UK staying in the European Union. She said she was "devastated" when the UK voted to leave.
She was re-elected in the 2017 and 2019 general elections. In 2019, she ran to become the Speaker of the House of Commons but was not successful.
Recent Achievements
In 2021, Meg Hillier was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). This is a special honour for her political and parliamentary service.
She was re-elected again in the 2024 general election. In September 2024, she was elected unopposed as the chair of the Treasury Select Committee. This committee examines the work of the Treasury, which is in charge of the UK's economy.
Personal Life
Meg Hillier married Joe Simpson in 1997. They have three children together. She is a Roman Catholic.
