Margaret Beckett

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

(Born 1943)

Margaret Beckett was born in Ashton-under-Lyne in 1943. She received her education at Manchester College of Science and Technology and John Dalton Polytechnic. Before entering Parliament she worked as a metallurgist and an industrial policy researcher for the Labour Party.

She entered Parliament in 1974 as MP for Lincoln until 1979. She held a variety of shadow cabinet positions and was Assistant Government Whip from 1975-1976 and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education and Science between 1976 and 1979.

Between 1979 and 1983, she worked as Principal researcher on Granada Television before being elected MP for Derby South in 1983.

Beckett was appointed Shadow Minister for Social Security from 1984-1989, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 1989-1992, and Shadow Leader of the House from 1992-1994.

She was elected as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party between 1992-1994 and became Leader between May and July 1994 after the death of the Rt Hon John Smith MP. She then served as Shadow Secretary of State for Health from 1994-1995, and Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry from 1995-1997.

She was appointed President of the Board of Trade and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Labour Party was elected to Government in May 1997 and was President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons from July 1998 to June 2001.

She held the position of Environment Secretary from 2001-2006 and in May 2006, she became Britain's first female Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs after a cabinet reshuffle.

She is married to Leo and has 2 stepsons.

(Sources: The Labour Party, Epolitix)