Margaret Hodge

Margaret Hodge is currently Minister of State for Culture, Media & Sport

Before becoming Minister of State at the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Margaret was Minister of State for Industry (at the Department of Trade & Industry) and the Regions.

Between May 2005 and May 2006 she was Minister of State at the Department for Work & Pensions with responsibility for Work and Welfare Reform. Prior to this she was the first ever Minister for Children Young People & Families between 2003 and 2005. From June 2001 until June 2003, Mrs Hodge was Minister for Lifelong Learning and Higher Education, with responsibility for higher education, post-16 education and lifelong learning, the Learning and Skills Council, Adult Skills and vocational qualifications.For three years until June 2001, Margaret was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education and Employment with responsibility for child care, nursery education, Disabled People, Millennium Volunteers and equal opportunities in employment.

Between 1994 when she first became an MP and 1998 when she was appointed to Government she held a range of offices including: Chair of the London Group of Labour MPs, Joint Chair of the Education and Employment Select Committee and Chair of Labour's Task Force on Under-5s policy. She was also attached to the Home Affairs Team and was a Key Campaigner on Women.

Before becoming an MP Mrs Hodge was a councillor in the London Borough of Islington for over 20 years and was Leader of the Council from 1982 till 1992. She has also held a range of offices which have included the Chair of the Association of London Authorities and Deputy chair of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities.

After her period as Leader of Islington she worked as a public sector consultant with Price Waterhouse Coopers. During that time she was a member of the Local Government Commission, on the board of UCL Hospital Trust and Chair of Circle 33 Housing Trust. She was also a Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research.

She is a former Chair of the Fabian Executive Committee. She is patron of several local charities. Her main areas of policy interest are Education, the reform of public services, equality issues and especially gender issues and democratic renewal.

Recreations
Family, opera, piano & cooking

Languages Spoken
German, French & Italian