Dame Margaret Hodge is a Labour Party politician who has served as MP for Barking since 1994. Hodge was appointed Junior Minister for Disabled People in 1998 and was promoted to Minister for Universities in 2001, remaining in post until 2003 when she became the inaugural Children's Minister. She was sworn into the Privy Council on 22 June 2003. In 2005 Hodge became Minister of State for Culture and Tourism. On 9 June 2010 she was elected Chair of the Public Accounts Committee and served until 2015. Since November 2018, she has been Chair of Council at Royal Holloway, University of London. Hodge was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1978 and promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2015.