Margaret Hodge, Minister for Culture, Tourism and the Creative Industries, has been an MP since 1994 and was the first ever Minister for Children, Young People and Families (from 2003 - 2005). She is still vocal in education policy.
Margaret Hodge MP
Is there an object or work of art that has inspired you, encouraged you to work in a different way or given you a great idea?
I saw the Rauschenberg exhibition at the Whitechapel Art Gallery in the 1960s which really influenced how I looked at the built environment.
Robert Rauschenberg (b.1925) is an American artist who came to prominence with the rise of Pop Art. He is best known for his 'Combines' - assemblages which fuse painting and sculpture. Tate has several of his works in its collection, one of which is currently on show at Tate Modern in London.
Can you name a person who has inspired you?
Nelson Mandela, Simone de Beauvoir, Bertrand Russell.
Nelson Mandela in his characteristic triumphant pose.
You can find out more about the fight for equal rights for ethnic minorities on the Untold London website, as well as black heritage in the capital.
Simone de Beauvoir was a staunch feminist thinker - see the Women's Library for more on this. Bertrand Russell, meanwhile, was not only a philosopher but a peace campaigner. Bradford has its own Peace Museum, with exhibits on Russell.
Margaret Hodge used her pager to keep in touch with her children.
Can you think of any current innovations (in science, technology, art etc.), which have had an impact on your life?
My pager - when I came into Parliament it helped me to stay in 24 hour contact with my children.
Tell us what you think. We would like you to use our simple Storymaker editing tool to tell us what you'd put in a museum of me. We will be selecting some of the most interesting examples and publishing them next to the expert’s views during MGM 2008.
