GOVERNMENT

Margaret Hodge

Member of parliament of the United Kingdom

The daughter of a Jewish family who came to Britain to escape Nazi persecution, Dame Margaret Hodge is a veteran Labour Party politician and MP for the Barking constituency in east London. Known for her candid style and energetic campaigning, Hodge thrashed a neo-fascist candidate to win her parliamentary seat in the 2015 General Election. In 2018, she turned her sights on Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, telling him to his face that he is an "antisemite and a racist." Despite sitting on over 300 unanswered complaints about Labour antisemitism, Corbyn immediately announced disciplinary action against Hodge, only to back down in the face of a public outcry. Hodge, meanwhile, was unbowed, stating “I stand by my action as well as my words” as she accused her party of "entrenching antisemitism" in its ranks. (Photo: Chris McAndrew.)