[Is Labour never having a female leader "shameful"?] Yes. [...] Oh, it’s horrible. There’s still sexism, which is why you can never take your foot of… - Margaret Hodge

About Margaret Hodge

Dame Margaret Eve Hodge, Lady Hodge, DBE (née Oppenheimer, formerly Watson; born 8 September 1944) is a British politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Barking from a by-election in 1994 until the 2024 United Kingdom general election. A member of the Labour Party, she previously served as Leader of Islington Borough Council, London from 1982 to 1992. She has held a number of ministerial roles and served as Chair of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee from 2010 to 2015. Her peerage was announced on 4 July 2024 in the Dissolution Honours. Hodge is the daughter of the co-founder of steel firm Stemcor and remains a major shareholder. She was a councillor on Islington Council from 1973 to 1994, was chair of the Housing Committee, and then Council Leader from 1982 to 1992. Hodge later apologised for failing to ensure that allegations of serious child abuse in council-run homes were sufficiently investigated and for libelling a complainant. Hodge was appointed Junior Minister for Disabled People in 1998 and promoted to Minister for Universities in 2001, subsequently becoming the first Children's Minister in 2003, joining the Privy Council. In 2005, Hodge became Minister of State for Work. Hodge served as Minister of State for Culture and Tourism from 2007 to 2008 and 2009 until Labour was defeated at the 2010 general election.

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