Meg Hillier Explained

Dame Meg Hillier
Office:Chair of the Public Accounts Committee
Honorific-Suffix:DBE MP
Predecessor:Margaret Hodge
Successor:TBD [1]
Term Start:18 June 2015
Term End:30 May 2024
Office2:Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Identity
Predecessor2:Joan Ryan (Under-Secretary of State for Nationality, Citizenship and Immigration)
Primeminister2:Gordon Brown
Party:Labour and Co-operative
Leader1:Ed Miliband
Office1:Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
Predecessor1:Ed Miliband
Successor1:Caroline Flint
Successor2:Damian Green (Minister of State for Immigration)
Birth Name:Margaret Olivia Hillier
Birth Date:14 February 1969
Birth Place:Hampstead, London, England
Spouse:Joe Simpson
Children:3
Alma Mater:St Hilda's College, Oxford
Term Start1:8 October 2010
Term End1:7 October 2011
Term Start2:28 June 2007
Term End2:12 May 2010
Office3:Member of Parliament
for Hackney South and Shoreditch
Term Start3:5 May 2005[2]
Predecessor3:Brian Sedgemore
Majority3:14,737 (35.4%)
Constituency Am4:North East
Assembly4:London
Term Start4:4 May 2000
Term End4:10 June 2004
Predecessor4:Constituency established
Successor4:Jennette Arnold
Office5:Mayor of Islington
Term Start5:May 1998
Term End5:May 1999
Predecessor5:Rupert Perry
Successor5:Jenny Sands
Office6:Islington Borough Councillor
for Sussex Ward
Term Start6:5 May 1994
Term End6:2 May 2002
Successor6:Ward abolished

Dame Margaret Olivia Hillier (born 14 February 1969), known as Meg Hillier, is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hackney South and Shoreditch since 2005. Hillier was a junior government minister (2007–10) and was succeeded by Caroline Flint as Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in the Labour Party October 2011 reshuffle.[3] She chaired the Public Accounts Committee from 2015 until 2024.

Early life and career

Margaret Hillier was born on 14 February 1969 in Hampstead, and educated at Portsmouth High School, a private school for girls in Southsea, Hampshire. She then went to St Hilda's College at the University of Oxford, where she read Philosophy, Politics and Economics.[4] During her time there she was elected Librarian of the Oxford Union Society.[5]

Hillier worked as a journalist in regional press and social housing media and was elected as a Councillor in the London Borough of Islington in 1994, representing the Sussex ward and serving as Mayor of Islington in 1998, before standing down from the Council in 2002. She was elected as a founding Member of the London Assembly for North East London at the first London Assembly election of 2000, serving on the Assembly until 2004, and was a board member of Transport for London until her election to Parliament.

Hillier has served as Trustee of the War Memorials Trust since 2001.[6]

Parliamentary career

In 2004, Hillier was selected as the Labour prospective parliamentary candidate to contest Hackney South and Shoreditch through an all-women shortlist.[7] At the 2005 general election, she was elected to the House of Commons as MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch, winning with 52.9% of the vote and a majority of 10,204. Hillier made her maiden speech on 24 May 2005, noting there were more men in the House of Commons that day than there had ever been women MPs.[8]

Hillier served as member of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee for a year until she was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Ruth Kelly in 2006. In June 2007, she was appointed a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office.

During maternity leave beginning in March 2009, her ministerial role was taken over by Shahid Malik. In March 2008, Hillier voted with the Government in favour of nationwide Post Office closures, including seven in Hackney, of which her constituency forms a part.[9]

In December 2009, while promoting the unpopular National Identity Card scheme as Identity Minister[10] [11] in Liverpool, she admitted she had forgotten her own ID card,[12] [13] attributing the error to the demands of looking after her baby.[14] [15]

At the 2010 general election, Hillier was re-elected as MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch with an increased vote share of 55.7% and an increased majority of 14,288.[16] She was again re-elected at the 2015 general election with an increased vote share of 64.4% and an increased majority of 24,213.[17] [18] [19]

In June 2015, Hillier was elected Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee in succession to Margaret Hodge.[20] She was, as a result, among the 100 most influential people in the NHS according to the Health Service Journal in 2016.[21] As chair, she has been critical of the Troubled Families programme, saying that the PAC's conclusions on the programme were "far more serious" than "a slap on the wrist" for ministers.[22]

An ardent supporter of the Remain campaign during the 2016 EU referendum, Meg Hillier announced that she was "devastated" that the UK voted to leave the EU and that the decision was fuelled by "xenophobic undertones".[23]

She supported Owen Smith in the failed attempt to replace Jeremy Corbyn in the 2016 Labour Party leadership election.[24]

Hillier was again re-elected at the snap 2017 general election with an increased vote share of 79.4% and an increased majority of 37,931.[25] [26]

She stood for election as Speaker of the House of Commons during the 2019 Speaker election. However, she was unsuccessful, securing 10 votes (or 1.8%) in the first round, and coming in 7th out of seven candidates.

At the 2019 general election, Hillier was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 73.3% and a decreased majority of 33,985.[27]

Hillier was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for political and parliamentary service.[28]

At the 2024 general election, Hillier was again re-elected, again with a decreased vote share of 59.3 and a decreased majority of 14,737.[29]

Personal life

Hillier married Joe Simpson in 1997; the couple have three children.[30] [31] She is a Roman Catholic.[32]

External links

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Notes and References

  1. https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee
  2. Web site: Contact information for Meg Hillier - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament. members.parliament.uk.
  3. News: Stratton. Allegra. Sparrow. Andrew. Wintour. Patrick. Labour reshuffle: Miliband promotes newly elected MPs. 18 September 2015. The Guardian. 7 October 2011.
  4. Book: Waller. Robert. The Almanac of British Politics. Criddle. Byron. 2007-05-07. Routledge. 978-1-135-20683-3. en.
  5. News: John Evelyn: Hacking . . 196 . 4 . 2 February 1990 . 14.
  6. Web site: Trustees . 18 September 2015 . . War Memorials Trust.
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20090618162209/http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-05057.pdf Profile
  8. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm050524/debtext/50524-19.htm#50524-19_spnew1 House of Commons Hansard Debates
  9. http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2008-03-19&number=131&mpn=Meg_Hillier&mpc=Hackney+South+%26amp%3B+Shoreditch "Post Office Closures"
  10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8175139.stm UK's national ID card unveiled
  11. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7736588.stm Holyrood rejects identity cards
  12. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/12/16/hillier_launch Profile
  13. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8415099.stm Identity minister forgets ID card
  14. News: Red-faced Minister Meg Hillier forgets her identity card for Liverpool roll-out. 15 December 2009. 15 August 2021. Liverpool Echo.
  15. http://biographies.parliament.uk/parliament/default.asp?id=35914 Profile
  16. http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/election2010/results/constituency/b93.stm Hackney South & Shoreditch (results)
  17. Web site: Election Data 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151017112223/http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/electdata_2015.txt . 17 October 2015 . 17 October 2015 . Electoral Calculus.
  18. Web site: Previous election results Hackney . hackney.gov.uk.
  19. News: Jones . Jonathan . 13 January 2015 . A manifesto of no ideas: artist Gordon Shrigley stands in the general election . The Guardian.
  20. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33180818 Frank Field elected Work and Pensions Committee chairman
  21. News: HSJ100 2016: The list in full. 27 October 2016. Health Service Journal. 11 October 2016.
  22. News: Troubled families turnaround claim misleading, say MPs. 20 December 2016. 21 December 2016. BBC News. UK.
  23. News: MP Meg Hillier: 'We don't know' Brexit's implications for EU citizens in Hackney. Hackney Gazette. Emma. Bartholomew. UK. 24 June 2016.
  24. Web site: Full list of MPs and MEPs backing challenger Owen Smith. 2016-07-21. LabourList. en-GB. 2019-07-15.
  25. News: Hackney South & Shoreditch parliamentary constituency . BBC News.
  26. Web site: House Of Commons Library 2017 Election report .
  27. Web site: General election 12 December 2019 Hackney Council . 2019-11-19 . hackney.gov.uk.
  28. Web site: The Queen's Birthday Honours List 2021. 2021-06-12. GOV.UK. 11 June 2021. en.
  29. News: Hackney South and Shoreditch results . BBC News .
  30. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090327152023/http%3A//www.number10.gov.uk/Page18757 Notice of marriage of Hillier and Simpson
  31. http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/content/hackney/gazette/news/story.aspx?brand=HKYGOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newshkyg&itemid=WeED21_Apr_2009_15%3A39%3A33%3A903 "Baby Girl for MP"
  32. http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/03/27/catholic-mps-urge-pope-francis-to-allow-ordination-of-married-men Signatory to letter to Pope Francis to allow ordination of married men to the Catholic priesthood