Margaret Hodge, a outstanding determine in British politics, displays on a profession marked by fierce advocacy, vital victories, and private regrets. Now, at 82, she is publishing her memoir, ‘Battleaxe,’ a title she reclaims as an emblem of energy fairly than derision.
Hodge, recognized for her direct method, begins conversations with pointed observations, reminiscent of her evaluation of a brand new Labour prime minister’s efficiency. She believes the upcoming finances and world geopolitical challenges, together with tensions in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, can be important exams. Reflecting on previous political turmoil, she admits she initially opposed ousting Keir Starmer, viewing the occasion’s struggles as systemic fairly than solely leader-dependent. She likened the concept of adjusting leaders to rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic, a stance she now questions.
Her political journey is in depth. She led Islington Council throughout a interval labeled the ‘loony left,’ was a staunch Labour average and loyalist throughout the Blair-Brown years, and later grew to become a formidable pressure because the MP for Barking. In these roles, she confronted the British Nationwide Get together (BNP), tackled antisemitism inside the Labour occasion beneath Jeremy Corbyn, and as chair of the cross-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC), challenged tax-avoiding tech giants.
The title ‘Battleaxe’ for her memoir, instructed by her agent, resonates with how others understand her. “Individuals do say: ‘Oh, you don’t need to tackle Margaret,’” she notes, her gaze intense and proud. She describes herself as somebody who listens and displays however is finally sturdy and decided as soon as a choice is made, drawing a parallel to soccer supervisor Brian Clough’s method to disagreements.
Hodge’s private historical past is as compelling as her political profession. Born in Egypt to Jewish dad and mom who fled Nazi Germany, her household later settled in Kent, England. The lack of her mom at age 10 and subsequent tutorial acceleration led to a tough interval, together with a disliked stint at boarding faculty. After graduating from the London College of Economics, she labored in market analysis and briefly as a trainer earlier than getting into politics in 1973, pushed by a want to equalize life possibilities and fight racism.
Her time as chief of Islington Council within the Nineteen Eighties was marked by a confrontational type, incomes her the nickname ‘Enver Hodge,’ a reference to the Albanian dictator. She recounts situations of protest, reminiscent of strolling out on Michael Heseltine over funding cuts, a tactic her then-husband, Henry Hodge, a solicitor, deemed ‘gesture politics.’ She additionally refused to fulfill Margaret Thatcher, an motion she now views as ‘silly’ however indicative of the period’s political local weather and her opposition to Thatcher’s dismantling of native authorities energy.
Hodge acknowledges her personal ‘Marmite’ persona, a time period she makes use of in her memoir, recognizing that she is a controversial determine. She expresses shock on the extent of her profession, having initially envisioned a life primarily as a mom. Conversely, she was dismayed to search out herself typically turning into a ‘hate determine.’
Battling Extremism and Prejudice
Hodge identifies her combat in opposition to the BNP as her best achievement. In 2006, the BNP gained vital traction in Barking and Dagenham, posing a risk to her parliamentary seat. She attributes this rise partly to Labour taking voters with no consideration and a reluctance to debate migration. Her constituency had undergone fast demographic change, resulting in emotions of unease amongst some residents who felt ignored and anxious about housing allocation.
Hodge proposed giving weight to neighborhood ties in housing selections, a coverage that was finally adopted. Whereas criticized by some Labour colleagues for her method, she vehemently denies ever caving to racism. Her efforts culminated in 2010 when Labour swept out the BNP, and he or she defeated BNP chief Nick Griffin by a considerable margin. The victory was bittersweet, occurring shortly after the demise of her husband, Henry.
She attracts parallels between the previous challenges posed by the BNP and the present political panorama, citing the necessity for strong immigration insurance policies and the significance of migrants adhering to British guidelines. She helps measures for sooner asylum processing and the deportation of people who commit critical offenses.
Evaluating her battles, Hodge states that confronting antisemitism inside the Labour occasion was far harder and personally devastating than combating the BNP. The insidious nature of antisemitism, which she felt permeated the occasion, led to intense private misery and abuse, together with threats of violence. She recollects the profound issue of navigating rooms, unsure of who was an ally.
Her public accusation that Jeremy Corbyn was an antisemite, whereas deliberate, was not carried out theatrically. She recounts confronting him privately after overhearing discussions about her potential disciplinary motion. The Forde KC report later acknowledged the weaponization of antisemitism inside the occasion. Hodge maintains she by no means used the difficulty as a political weapon, although she concedes it might have been on either side.
The Labour occasion’s preliminary dealing with of the antisemitism disaster and its subsequent investigation into her actions deeply affected her, main her to match the expertise to being Jewish in Germany within the Nineteen Thirties. She appreciates Keir Starmer’s decisive motion to deal with antisemitism, which has helped her reconnect along with her id as a Jewish immigrant refugee.
Regrets and Accountability
Hodge’s most important remorse stems from her time as chief of Islington Council, particularly the sexual abuse scandal within the borough’s kids’s houses. She expresses profound regret for not realizing the extent of the abuse, stating, “I simply don’t assume any of us thought paedophiles had been working out of youngsters’s houses.” She acknowledges a failure to hear on to the youngsters, relying as an alternative on assurances from officers, a choice she now finds unconscionable.
Additional compounding this remorse is her try to hinder a BBC Radio 4 investigation and her disparaging remarks a couple of youngster abuse survivor, Demetrious Panton. She describes this as a “horrible error,” admitting she acted on poor recommendation in making an attempt to cease the reporting. Finally, she took accountability, issuing a excessive court docket apology, masking authorized prices, and making a considerable donation to charity.
Regardless of these tough episodes, Hodge’s legacy is essentially outlined by her integrity and her position as chair of the PAC. Between 2010 and 2015, she reworked the committee into a strong platform for holding authorities and company entities accountable for monetary mismanagement, tax avoidance, and lack of transparency. Her interrogations of figures like Google’s Matt Brittin, the place she famously said, “You’re a firm that claims you ‘do no evil’. And I believe that you simply do do evil,” grew to become legendary.
In 2024, she was appointed the UK’s official anti-corruption champion, persevering with her combat in opposition to monetary crime and illicit offshore actions. Colleagues and observers word her formidable presence, with Hodge herself embracing the ‘battleaxe’ persona as a supply of her effectiveness, whilst she maintains a shocking heat beneath her unyielding public picture.
