The Rt Hon Margaret Beckett
Member of Parliament for Derby South
Incumbent
Assumed office  9 June 1983
Preceded by	Walter Johnson
Majority	5,657 (13%)
Born	15 January 1943 (1943-01-15) (age 64) Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Lionel (Leo) Beckett
Alma mater	University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology
Religion	Roman Catholic

Margaret Mary Beckett (née Jackson; born 15 January 1943) is a British Labour politician and Member of Parliament (MP) for Derby South. She served in government under Tony Blair, becoming the first woman to hold the office of Foreign Secretary (the second of only three women to have held one of the Great Offices of State). She was Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1992 to 1994 and was briefly its leader in 1994 following the premature death of John Smith. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Derby South is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The incumbent, in politics, is the current holder of a political office. ... June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Walter Hamlet Johnson (21 November 1917 - 12 April 2003) was a British Labour Party politician. ... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ashton-under-Lyne is a town in Greater Manchester with a population of 44,400 (2001 estimate). ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... UMISTs Main Building from Whitworth Street. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Derby South is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (commonly referred to as Foreign Secretary) is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... John Smith QC (September 13, 1938 – May 12, 1994) was a British politician who served as leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his sudden and unexpected death from a heart attack on 12 May 1994. ...

Background

Margaret Jackson was born in 1943, in Ashton-under-Lyne, into a working-class family. Her father was an English carpenter and her mother an Irish Roman Catholic. Her sister is a Catholic nun. She was educated at the Notre Dame High School for Girls (a state-school in Norwich), the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, where she qualified as a metallurgist. Ashton-under-Lyne is a town in Greater Manchester with a population of 44,400 (2001 estimate). ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total... Carpenter at work in Tennessee, June 1942. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... For other uses, see Nun (disambiguation). ... Notre Dame High School is a Catholic school located in Norwich, UK. The school was opened in 1864 and is now a specialist-language sixth form college, teaching 11-18 year olds. ... Norwich (IPA: //) is a city in East Anglia, in Eastern England. ... UMISTs Main Building from Whitworth Street. ... Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and of materials engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. ...

In 1961, Jackson joined Associated Electrical Industries as a student apprentice in metallurgy. She joined the Transport and General Workers Union in 1964 and remains a member to this day. She joined the University of Manchester in 1966 as an experiment officer in its metallurgy department. In 1970 Jackson went to work for the Labour Party as a researcher in industrial policy. Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) was a British engineering company formed in 1959 by the merger of the British Thomson-Houston Company (BTH) and Metropolitan Vickers. ... The Transport and General Workers Union, also known as the TGWU and the T&G, is one of the largest general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland - where it is known as the Amalgamated TGWU - with 900,000 members (and was once the largest trade union in the... The University of Manchester is a university located in Manchester, England. ...

She married party official Lionel "Leo" Beckett in Lincoln in 1979. Leo works as Beckett's agent and aide, travelling with her and working in her private office. The couple are a close political and professional team ^[1]. They have no children.

Beckett and her husband enjoy caravan holidays and have continued to do so throughout her political career ^[2]. She was asked to give up holidays in her Bailey Pageant Champagne in 2006 in light of security concerns.^[3] A travel trailer or caravan is a trailer towed behind a road vehicle (or even a horse) to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable, sheltered and protected than a tent (although there are fold-down tent trailers [1]) . It provides the means for people to have their... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Early political career, 1973-84

In 1973, she was selected as Labour candidate for Lincoln, which the party wanted to win back from dissident ex-Labour MP Dick Taverne. Jackson lost to Taverne at the February 1974 General Election by 1,297 votes. After the election she went to work as a researcher for Judith Hart, the Minister for Overseas Development at the Foreign Office. Harold Wilson called another general election in October 1974, and Beckett again went to fight Taverne at Lincoln in the October 1974 General Election. This time Jackson was elected, by just 984 votes. Lincoln is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Dick Taverne, Baron Taverne was born in 1928. ... The UK general election of February 1974 was held on February 28, 1974. ... Judith Hart, Baroness Hart of South Lanark DBE PC (18 September 1924 – 8 December 1991) was a British Labour Party politician. ... In the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State for International Development is a Cabinet minister responsible for promoting development overseas, particularly in the third world. ... James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was one of the most prominent British politicians of the 20th century. ... The UK general election of October 1974 took place on October 10, 1974. ...

Almost immediately after her election she was appointed as Judith Hart's Parliamentary Private Secretary. Harold Wilson made her a Whip in 1975, and she was promoted in 1976 by James Callaghan to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Education and Science, replacing Joan Lestor, who had resigned in protest over spending cuts. She remained in that position until she lost her seat at the 1979 General Election. The Conservative candidate Kenneth Carlisle narrowly won the seat with a 602 vote majority, the first time the Conservatives had won at Lincoln since 1935. A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a junior role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament (MP). ... In politics, a whip is a member of a political party in a legislature whose task is to ensure that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ... Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC (27 March 1912 – 26 March 2005), was Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979. ... A Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, in the United Kingdom government structure, is a minister who is junior to a Minister of State who is then junior to a Secretary of State. ... Department for Education and Skills (DfES) is a department in the United Kingdom government created in 2001. ... Joan Lestor, Baroness Lestor of Eccles (13 November 1931-27 March 1998) was a Labour politician. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 and is regarded as a pivotal point in 20th century British politics. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... Sir Kenneth Melville Carlisle (born 25 March 1941) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... Stanley Baldwin Clement Attlee The UK general election held on 14th November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Stanley Baldwin. ...

She joined Granada Television in 1979 as a researcher. Out of Parliament, and now Margaret Beckett, she won election to Labour's National Executive Committee in 1980, and supported left-winger Tony Benn for the Labour deputy leadership in 1981 against Denis Healey. She was the subject of a vociferous attack from Joan Lestor at the conference. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. ... Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (born 3 April 1925), known as Tony Benn, formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British socialist politician. ... Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey, CH, MBE, PC (born 30 August 1917), is a British Labour politician, regarded by some (especially in the Labour Party) as the best Prime Minister we never had.[1] Denis Healey was born in Mottingham in Kent but in 1922 at the age of five...

Beckett was chosen to fight the parliamentary seat of Derby South after the retirement of the sitting MP, Walter Johnson. At the 1983 General Election she won the seat only very narrowly, with the Labour majority down to 421. During her time in Parliament, she has continued to live in the constituency, in one of the poorer areas of Derby, next door to a public house and in an area dominated by council housing. She continues to support local co-operatives. Derby South is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Walter Hamlet Johnson (21 November 1917 - 12 April 2003) was a British Labour Party politician. ... The UK general election, 1983 was held on June 9, 1983 and gave the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945. ... A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures, goals or loyalty. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Cheap, safe, housing owned by the British Government. ... A cooperative (also co-operative or co-op) is an association of persons who join together to carry on an economic activity of mutual benefit, in an egalitarian fashion. ...

Shadow Cabinet and Deputy Leader, 1984-94

Returning to the House of Commons, Margaret Beckett gradually moved away from the hard left, supporting incumbent leader Neil Kinnock against Benn in 1988. By this time she was a front bencher, as a spokesperson on Social Security since 1984, becoming a member of the Shadow Cabinet in 1989 as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. After the 1992 General Election she was elected Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and served under John Smith as Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. She became a Member of the Privy Council in 1993. She was the first woman to serve as deputy leader of the Labour Party. Type Lower House Speaker of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Commons Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Harriet Harman, QC, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Theresa May, PC, (Conservative) since December 6, 2005 Members 646 Political groups... Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock, PC (born 28 March 1942) is a British politician. ... The Shadow Cabinet (also called the Shadow Front Bench) is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition (or the leader of other smaller opposition parties) form an alternative cabinet to the governments, whose... The new eastern entrance to HM Treasury HM Treasury, in full Her Majestys Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the UK Governments financial and economic policy. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992. ... The British Labour Party has always sought to ensure that the power to shape party policy was not consolidated in the hands of the leader. ... John Smith QC (September 13, 1938 – May 12, 1994) was a British politician who served as leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his sudden and unexpected death from a heart attack on 12 May 1994. ... The Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Commons. ... Her Majestys Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. ...

Following the sudden death of John Smith from a heart attack on May 12, 1994, Margaret Beckett became Labour leader, the Party's constitution providing for the automatic succession of the Deputy Leader for the remainder of the leadership term, upon the death or resignation of an incumbent leader. Labour leaders are subject to annual re-election at the time of the annual party conference. Accordingly, Beckett was constitutionally entitled to remain in office as leader until the 1994 Conference, but the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) decided to bring forward the election for Leader and Deputy Leader to July 1994. John Smith QC (September 13, 1938 – May 12, 1994) was a British politician who served as leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his sudden and unexpected death from a heart attack on 12 May 1994. ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ...

Thus, although Beckett was technically the Leader of the Labour Party during this period, she was in fact an acting leader, as was made clear when she came third in the subsequent leadership election, behind Tony Blair and John Prescott. The Deputy Leadership was contested at the same time; Beckett, standing in this election as well, was defeated, coming second behind Prescott. A leadership election was held in 1994 for the Labour Party in the United Kingdom, after the death of incumbent leader John Smith. ... John Leslie Prescott (born 31 May 1938) is a British Labour Party politician, former Deputy Prime Minister, First Secretary of State and current Member of Parliament for the constituency of Hull East. ...

New Labour and government, 1995-2001

Under Tony Blair's leadership, Margaret Beckett was the Shadow Secretary of State for Health, and then from 1995 the shadow President of the Board of Trade. She was one of the leading critics of the government when the Scott Report published its findings into the Arms-to-Iraq scandal in 1996. The President of the Board of Trade the title of a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. ... The Scott Report was a judicial inquiry commissioned in 1992 after reports of arms sales in the 1980s to Iraq by British companies surfaced. ... The Arms-to-Iraq affair concerned the uncovering of the government-endorsed sale of arms by British companies to Saddam Husseins Iraq. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

The Labour party won a landslide victory in the 1997 General Election and despite her connections to the old left of the party and the trade union movement, with which Tony Blair has an uneasy relationship, Margaret Beckett held a number of important positions in the Blair government. As of June 27, 2007, she was the last remaining minister to have experience in the Labour governments of Harold Wilson and James Callaghan. She was also one of five remaining members of the original 1997 Labour cabinet, and one of the longest-serving Labour frontbenchers. In politics, a landslide victory (or just a landslide) is the victory of a candidate or political party by an overwhelming majority in an election. ... The UK general election, 1997 was one of the largest election victories in the history of the twentieth century. ... A trade union or labor union is a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment. ... James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was one of the most prominent British politicians of the 20th century. ... Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC (27 March 1912 – 26 March 2005), was Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979. ...

Following the 1997 election, she entered Tony Blair's government as the President of the Board of Trade (a position the title of which would later revert to Secretary of State for Trade and Industry). She was succeeded by Peter Mandelson in July 1998. She was the first woman to have held this post. The President of the Board of Trade the title of a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. ... The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is a cabinet position in the United Kingdom government. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

She was Leader of the House of Commons from 1998 until her replacement by Robin Cook in June 2001. Her tenure saw the introduction of a second debating chamber for the House of Commons, Westminster Hall. Debates that take place in Westminster Hall are often more consensual and informal, and can address the concerns of backbenchers. She received admiration for her work as Leader of the House ^[4], working on this and a number of other elements of the Labour government's modernisation agenda for Parliament. The Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Commons. ... Robert Finlayson Cook (28 February 1946 – 6 August 2005) was a politician in the British Labour Party. ... June 2001 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December June 1 - Royal Family of Nepal massacred. ... Type Lower House Speaker of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Commons Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Harriet Harman, QC, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Theresa May, PC, (Conservative) since December 6, 2005 Members 646 Political groups... Clock Tower and New Palace Yard from the west The Palace of Westminster, on the banks of the River Thames in Westminster, London, is the home of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, which form the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... A backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislature who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons The Right Honourable Michael Martin MP Lord Speaker Hélène Hayman, Baroness Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups (as of May 5, 2005 elections) Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats...

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2001-06

After the 2001 General Election, Beckett became Secretary of State at the new Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, created after the old Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was abolished in the wake of perceived mismanagement of the foot and mouth disease epidemic in 2001. The new department also incorporated some of the functions of the former Department for Transport, Environment and the Regions (DETR), and was known by its initials, "DEFRA". She held the position of Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs until May 2006, when she was succeeded by David Miliband. Beckett would be on the front line of the government's efforts to tackle climate change, and attended international conferences on the matter. Towards the end of her time at DEFRA there was a crisis within the Rural Payments Agency, which failed to make statutory payments to farmers whose livestock had been affected by BSE and TB; the crisis generated some political pressure on Beckett and the then Farming minister Lord Bach. Tony Blair William Hague Charles Kennedy The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities. ... The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a UK government department, first created in September 1793 (relaunched in 1889) and called the Board of Agriculture. ... Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), sometimes called hoof-and-mouth disease, is a highly contagious but non-fatal viral disease of cattle and pigs. ... Notice telling people to keep off the North York Moors. ... The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions was a UK Cabinet position created in 1997, with responsibility for the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions. ... The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is a UK cabinet-level position in charge of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the successor to the positions of Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Secretary of State for the Environment. ... David Wright Miliband (born 15 July 1965) is a British politician who is the current Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [1] and Member of Parliament for the constituency of South Shields, Tyne and Wear. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400,000 years For current global climate change, see Global warming. ... The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities. ... The logo of the RPA The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is an executive agency of the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). ... The Three-Letter Acronym or Abbreviation (TLA) BSE could stand for Bachelor of Science in Engineering Baku Stock Exchange Barbados Stock Exchange Battle Space Entity (military simulations) Black Sun Empire - Dutch drum and bass production trio Bolshaya Sovetskaya Entsiklopediya (Большая Советская Энциклопедия, Great Soviet Encyclopedia) - the most comprehensive encyclopedia ever written in Russian... TB or tb can stand for: Terbium (Tb, chemical symbol for the chemical element) Tuberculosis Terabyte (TB) Trombone Thunderbird news and email client Hyundai TB Tony Blair Terry Bradshaw TrackBack Thoroughbred Taco Bell Tomboy, Hong Kong slang Teen Baby (A common term relating to infantilism) Turbo Basic, computer language Toledo... The Lord Bach at the annoucement of the JSF contract award William Willy Stephen Goulden Bach, Baron Bach (born 25 December 1946) is a British Labour member of the House of Lords. ...

During her tenure at DEFRA Beckett was re-elected to Parliament for Derby South at the 2005 general election, with a reduced majority. The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005. ...

In a report published on 29 March 2007 by a Parliamentary select committee, she was strongly criticised and called upon to resign as Foreign Secretary for her role, as the previous Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in the 2006 mismanagement of EU farm subsidies (which cost the British Government up to £500 million in EU fines). ^[5] March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (89th in leap years). ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... A Select Committee is a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues originating in the Westminster System of parliamentary democracy. ... The title of Foreign Secretary has been traditionally used to refer to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. ... The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is a UK cabinet-level position in charge of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the successor to the positions of Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Secretary of State for the Environment. ... The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. ...

Beckett appears with US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice following her appointment as Foreign Secretary.

Image File history File links Beckett_Rice. ... Image File history File links Beckett_Rice. ... In several countries, Secretary of State is a senior government position. ... Condoleezza Rice (born November 14, 1954) is the 66th United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President George W. Bush to hold the office. ...

Foreign Secretary, 2006-07

Following the 2006 local elections, Tony Blair demoted Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, and appointed Margaret Beckett as his successor. She was the first woman to hold the post, and only the second woman to hold one of the great offices of state (after Margaret Thatcher). Beckett's appointment came as something of a surprise, for the media and for Beckett herself. She admitted reacting to the news with a four-letter word.^[6] Local government elections took place in England (only) on Thursday May 4, 2006. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... The title of Foreign Secretary has been traditionally used to refer to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. ... John Whitaker Straw (born August 3, 1946) is a British Labour Party politician. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC (born October 13, 1925), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in office from 1979 to 1990. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Some commentators claim that she was promoted to Foreign Secretary because she was considered to be a 'safe pair of hands' and a loyal member of the Cabinet.^[7][8] Her experience at Defra in dealing with international climate change issues has also been cited as a factor in the move. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities. ...

Margaret Beckett had to adapt quickly to her diplomatic role and within a few hours of her appointment as Foreign Secretary she flew to the United Nations in New York for an urgent meeting of foreign ministers to discuss the Iran nuclear weapons crisis. About a month later, Beckett came under fire for not responding quickly enough to the 2006 Lebanon war, which saw Israel invade the country, although some reports suggested that the delay was caused by Cabinet division rather than Mrs Beckett's reluctance to make a public statement on the matter.^[9] The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... NY redirects here. ... Combatants Hezbollah Amal[1] LCP[2] PFLP-GC[3]  Israel Commanders Hassan Nasrallah Imad Mughniyeh[4] Dan Halutz Moshe Kaplinsky[11] Udi Adam Strength 600-1,000 active fighters 3,000-10,000 reservists[5] Up to 10,000 ground troops. ...

Beckett is understood to have delegated European issues to the Foreign Office minister responsible for Europe, Geoff Hoon who, following his demotion as Defence Secretary, continued to attend Cabinet meetings. Hoon and Beckett were said to have a difficult ministerial relationship.^[10][11] A European is primarily a person who was born into one of the countries within the continent of Europe. ... The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom abroad. ... Geoff Hoon (right) at Pentagon briefing Geoffrey William Geoff Hoon (born December 6, 1953) is a British politician. ...

As Foreign Secretary, Beckett came in for some trenchant criticism. According to the Times, she did not stand up well in comparison with the previous Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw.^[12] The Spectator described her as, "at heart, an old, isolationist, pacifist Leftist" and called on her to resign,^[13] and the New Statesman accused her of allowing the Foreign Office to become 'subservient' to 10 Downing Street after the tenures of Jack Straw and Robin Cook.^[14] The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1788. ... Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney stand in front of the famous main door to Number 10. ... Robert Finlayson Cook (28 February 1946 – 6 August 2005) was a politician in the British Labour Party. ...

In August 2006, 37 Labour Party members in her Derby South constituency left the party and joined the Liberal Democrats, criticising her approach to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.^[15] Two weeks earlier, Beckett's successor, David Miliband, openly criticised Blair and Beckett during a full cabinet meeting for failing to call for an immediate ceasefire.^[16] Jack Straw and Hilary Benn, then International Development Secretary, later came out against Blair and Beckett as well.^[17] The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... Derby South is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Combatants Hezbollah Amal[1] LCP[2] PFLP-GC[3]  Israel Commanders Hassan Nasrallah Imad Mughniyeh[4] Dan Halutz Moshe Kaplinsky[11] Udi Adam Strength 600-1,000 active fighters 3,000-10,000 reservists[5] Up to 10,000 ground troops. ... David Wright Miliband (born 15 July 1965) is a British politician who is the current Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [1] and Member of Parliament for the constituency of South Shields, Tyne and Wear. ... Hilary James Wedgwood Benn (November 26, 1953) is a British politician, a current member of the British cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development and Labour Member of Parliament for the West Yorkshire constituency of Leeds Central. ... In the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State for International Development is a Cabinet minister responsible for promoting development overseas, particularly in the third world. ...

Upon taking office, Gordon Brown made it known that he would not re-appoint Margaret Beckett as Foreign Secretary.^[18] On June 28, 2007, Brown selected David Miliband as her replacement.^[19]

References

1. ^ Margaret Beckett: Pack it in! Leave it alone!. The Independent (6 August 2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
2. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/07/27/ncara27.xml
3. ^ http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007100413,00.html
4. ^ Profile: Margaret Beckett. BBC News (5 May 2006). Retrieved on 2007-04-27.
5. ^ Charles Clover (March 30, 2007). Beckett should be sacked over farm payments fiasco, say MPs. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
6. ^ 'As he promoted me I replied in one word, with four letters'. The Times Online. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
7. ^ UK has first woman foreign secretary. CNN.com (5 May 2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
8. ^ Media Strategy Guide to Cabinet Reshuffle. Euro Nano Trade Alliance. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
9. ^ Commons Confidential: November 2006. BBC News Online. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
10. ^ Brussels Diary, February 2007. Prospect magazine (February 2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
11. ^ Hoon uses Beckett's absence to reopen issue of EU's future. Telegraph.co.uk (3 November 2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
12. ^ William Rees-Mogg (June 16, 2006). Being beastly to Beckett. Times Online. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
13. ^ Simon Heffer (August 2, 2006). Not up to the job. The Spectator. Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
14. ^ Mary Riddell and John Kampfner (18 December 2006). Interview: Margaret Beckett. The New Statesman. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
15. ^ Beckett suffers Labour defections. BBC News (August 25, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
16. ^ No 10 'rebuffed hostilities call'. BBC News (August 2, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-06-30.
17. ^ No 10 'rebuffed hostilities call'. BBC News (August 2, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-06-30.
18. ^ Beckett out as Foreign Secretary BBC News Online
19. ^ Cabinet at a glance. The Guardian Online. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.

--> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... --> Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• FCO — Rt Hon Margaret Beckett official profile
• ePolitix — Rt Hon Margaret Beckett official website
• Guardian Unlimited Politics — Ask Aristotle: Margaret Beckett MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com — Margaret Beckett MP
• BBC News - Day in the Life: Margaret Beckett