The Baroness Beckett | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Official portrait, 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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[a] John Prescott[b] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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[c] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 14 August 2024 Life peerage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Member of Parliament for Derby South | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 9 June 1983 – 30 May 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Walter Johnson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Baggy Shanker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 15 January 1943 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 | ![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Margaret Mary Beckett, Baroness Beckett, GBE, PC (née Jackson; born 15 January 1943), is a British politician. A member of the Labour Party, she was the United Kingdom's first female foreign secretary, and served as a minister under Prime Ministers Harold Wilson, James Callaghan, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Beckett was Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1992 to 1994, and briefly Leader of the Opposition and acting Leader of the Labour Party following John Smith's death in 1994. A member of the Labour Party, she served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Lincoln from 1974 to 1979, and for Derby South from 1983 to 2024. Her 45 years in the House of Commons makes her the longest-serving female MP in British history.
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 Commons in 1983 as MP for Derby South. She was appointed to Neil Kinnock's Shadow Cabinet shortly afterwards; 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, and as one of 101 female Labour MPs elected, Beckett became a member of Tony Blair's Cabinet initially as President of the Board of Trade, the first female holder of that office. 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 Gordon Brown, Blair's successor; 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 was the last remaining MP who served in the Labour governments of the 1970s. Beckett stood down at the 2024 general election and was appointed to the House of Lords.
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