Margaret Hodge, MP for Barking and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, gave the 2014 John Garrett Memorial Lecture at the University of East Anglia on Friday 28th February 2014.
John Garrett, “the most effective Parliamentary reformer of his generation” (the Independent), was Member of Parliament for Norwich South from 1974–1983 and 1987–1997. He died in 2007. This is the fifth in an annual series of lectures established in his memory.
The Thomas Paine Lecture Theatre was packed out to hear the speaker. Some of the tweets from members of the audience at the event are below.
About Margaret Hodge
The Rt. Hon Margaret Hodge MBE was elected Member of Parliament for Barking in 1994. She is also the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.
She was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment and Equal Opportunities, Department for Education and Employment (1998 – 2001); Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, Department for Education and Skills (2001 – 2003); Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, Department for Education and Skills (2003 – 2005); Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform in the Department for Work and Pensions (2005 – 2006); Minister of State for Industry and the Regions in the Department for Trade and Industry (2006 – 2007); and Minister for Culture, the Creative industries and Tourism in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (2007 – 2010), during which time she took a year’s compassionate leave to care for her terminally ill husband.
In the 2010 General Election Margaret fought off the challenge from Nick Griffin and the British National Party in her constituency, doubling her majority to 16,555.
Also in 2010 Margaret Hodge became the first ever female Chair of the Public Accounts Committee. She was elected by fellow MPs in the first elections to be held for select committee Chairs.
The event was recorded by Jinyang Wang. Photocredit: UKLabour
Reaction from the event
Margaret Hodge, MP for Barking and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, gave the 2014 John Garrett Memorial Lecture at the University of East Anglia on Friday 28th February. Listen to the lecture here:
http://storify.com/PSI_UEA/margaret-hodge-s-uea-lecture-on-holding-government
