Margaret Beckett
British Labour politician (born 1943) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Margaret Beckett?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Dame Margaret Mary Beckett GBE (née Jackson; born 15 January 1943) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Derby South since 1983. A member of the Labour Party, she became Britain's first female Foreign Secretary in 2006 and served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Tony Blair throughout his tenure. Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1992 to 1994, Beckett briefly served as Leader of the Opposition and Acting Leader of the Labour Party following John Smith's death in 1994.
Dame Margaret Beckett | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 5 May 2006 – 27 June 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Tony Blair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Jack Straw | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | David Miliband | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 8 June 2001 – 5 May 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Tony Blair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Nick Brown[lower-alpha 1] John Prescott[lower-alpha 2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | David Miliband | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 8 June 2001 – 27 March 2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Tony Blair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Nick Brown | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Herself[lower-alpha 3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader of the House of Commons Lord President of the Council | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 27 July 1998 – 8 June 2001 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Tony Blair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Ann Taylor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Robin Cook | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry President of the Board of Trade | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 2 May 1997 – 27 July 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Tony Blair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Ian Lang | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Peter Mandelson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader of the Opposition | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 12 May 1994 – 21 July 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monarch | Elizabeth II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | John Major | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | John Smith | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Tony Blair | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 18 July 1992 – 21 July 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader | John Smith | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Roy Hattersley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | John Prescott | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Member of Parliament for Derby South | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 9 June 1983 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Walter Johnson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Majority | 6,019 (14.2%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Member of Parliament for Lincoln | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 10 October 1974 – 7 April 1979 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Dick Taverne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Kenneth Carlisle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Margaret Mary Jackson (1943-01-15) 15 January 1943 (age 81) Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Labour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse |
Lionel Beckett
(m. 1979; died 2021) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | Manchester College of Science and Technology (BSc) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Signature | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | Official website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Beckett makes a statement on climate change on behalf of the European Commission and Council Recorded 16 November 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Beckett was first elected to Parliament at the October 1974 general election for Lincoln and held junior positions in the governments of Harold Wilson and James Callaghan. She lost her seat at the 1979 election, but returned to the House of Commons in 1983, this time representing Derby South. She was appointed to Neil Kinnock's Shadow Cabinet shortly afterward; she was elected Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in 1992, becoming the first woman to hold that role. When John Smith died in 1994, Beckett became the first woman to lead the Labour Party, although Tony Blair won the election to replace Smith shortly afterward and assumed the substantive leadership.
After Labour returned to power in 1997, Beckett became a member of Tony Blair's Cabinet initially as President of the Board of Trade. She later served as Leader of the House of Commons and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, before becoming Foreign Secretary in 2006, the first woman to hold that position, and—after Margaret Thatcher—the second woman to hold one of the Great Offices of State. Following Blair's resignation as Prime Minister in 2007, Beckett was not initially given a position by new Prime Minister Gordon Brown; after she had spent a period on the backbenches, Brown appointed her to his cabinet as Minister of State for Housing and Planning in 2008, before she left the government for the last time in 2009.
Beckett holds the record for the female MP with the longest service overall (Harriet Harman has longer continuous service) and, is the only sitting MP who served in the Labour governments of the 1970s. On 26 March 2022 Beckett announced that she would stand down at the next general election.[1]