Margaret Beckett: Narrow vote moves MP closer to freedom of Derby award

Dame Margaret was first elected as MP for Derby South in 1983

Councillors in Derby have narrowly voted in favour of a proposal to award Labour's Dame Margaret Beckett the freedom of the city.

The city council's new minority Labour administration wants to give the veteran Derby South MP the civic honour to mark the 40th anniversary of her election in June.

A motion was passed by 23 votes to 19 at a council meeting on Wednesday .

Most opposition councillors voted against the idea and four abstained.

The council's Labour leader Baggy Shanker said Dame Margaret had "a distinguished career locally, nationally and internationally".

An extraordinary meeting of the council will now be arranged to formally vote on the idea.

Mr Shanker urged opposition councillors to support the award adding: "Irrespective of Margaret's politics [she] has been a stalwart and dedicated representative of our city.

'Long history of service'

"Offering Margaret the freedom of the city is nothing more than she absolutely deserves and I feel fundamentally most agree with that, but maybe it's difficult because of political allegiances. I just ask them to park that to one side."

He described opposition to the proposal as "very disappointing" and "bizarre", pointing out she worked with the previous Conservative administration to get Derby named as the headquarters of Great British Railways.

However, Derby Conservative group leader Steve Hassall told the meeting: "While we accept that Dame Margaret has provided a long history of service to this city and we wouldn't deny that, we feel freedom of the city is something we as politicians hand out to members of the city.

"I would suggest it shouldn't be something politicians hand out to one another.

"Dame Margaret has had a long career and there is a way of recognising that which is the Lords, which is where I'm sure she will end up eventually."

Liberal Democrat councillor Lucy Care said: "She has an enormous amount of respect so I don't deny she is a good person but I do think to bring a motion like this to this chamber while she is still an MP is poor timing.

"40 is just a number. It isn't a particular headline."