17 Facts About Meg Hillier

Meg Hillier has chaired the Public Accounts Committee since 2015.

Meg Hillier worked as a journalist in regional press and social housing media and was elected as a Councillor in the London Borough of Islington in 1994, representing the Sussex ward and serving as the Mayor of Islington in 1998, before standing down from the Council in 2002.

Meg Hillier was elected as a founding Member of the London Assembly for North East London at the first London Assembly election of 2000, serving on the Assembly until 2004, and was a board member of Transport for London until she was elected to Parliament.

In 2004, Meg Hillier was selected as the Labour candidate to contest the Hackney South and Shoreditch constituency through an all-women shortlist, following the retirement of the Labour MP Brian Sedgemore.

Meg Hillier was elected to the House of Commons at the 2005 general election.

Meg Hillier retained the safe seat with a majority of more than 10,000 votes.

Meg Hillier made her maiden speech on 24 May 2005, noting there were more men in the House of Commons that day than there had ever been women MPs.

Meg Hillier served as member of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee for a year until she was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Ruth Kelly in 2006.

In March 2008, Meg Hillier voted with the Government in favour of nationwide Post Office closures, including seven in Hackney, of which her constituency forms a part.

In June 2015, Meg Hillier was elected Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee in succession to Margaret Hodge.

Meg Hillier was, as a result, among the 100 most influential people in the NHS according to the Health Service Journal in 2016.

An ardent supporter of the Remain campaign during the 2016 EU referendum, Meg Hillier announced that she was "devastated" that the UK voted to leave the EU and that the decision was fuelled by "xenophobic undertones".

Meg Hillier supported Owen Smith in the failed attempt to replace Jeremy Corbyn in the 2016 Labour Party leadership election.

Meg Hillier has served as Trustee of the War Memorials Trust since 2001.

Meg Hillier stood for election as Speaker of the House of Commons during the 2019 Speaker of the British House of Commons election.

Meg Hillier was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2021 Birthday Honours for political and parliamentary service.

Meg Hillier married Joe Simpson in 1997; the couple have three children.