Full name: Glenda Jackson MP.
Homeland: Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate, London 1992 to present.
Caste: Independent, hard-working left-winger.
Religion: Feminism, long-termism, social responsibility.

Key Jobs: Opposition Spokesman on Transport 1996-7, Junior Minister for Transport in London 1997-1999.

Current Occupation: Backbench MP. After resigning her ministerial post in 1999 to concentrate on an unsuccessful bid to become the party candidate for London Mayor, Glenda shows no desire to return to the front line of politics, apparently enjoying the relative independency of a backbencher. She's also in Mayor Livingstone's "Cabinet" as a special advisor on homelessness.

Spare Rib: Glenda does feminism proud. She has attacked the "automatic presumption that if a job is of a certain size or importance, you are looking for men to fill it" (New Statesman, 29/11/99), and the way that "it does not matter how high a woman goes, she is always having to prove herself" (Interview, Varsity.co.uk). In the same interview, she criticised the way that articles about women mention their clothes, looks and age, asking: "When did you last hear about what a man is wearing? Glenda also thinks the Miss World competition is "utterly irrelevant" (Daily Star, 26/11/02). And these principles carry over into her home life. When describing her experience of domestic violence, she noted: "You can punch back – which I invariably did, of course" (New Statesman, 29/11/99).

Whipped: Glenda's always been completely dedicated to her career, noting: "I've always been ambitious to be very good at what I do". But this is not a fanatical grab for power: "I'm only interested in the kind of power that is achieved by virtue of people having chosen you – and the power to persuade" (The Times, 13/12/99). Her dedication and belief in success through honesty both combine together in her resistance to central party control. She has rebelled on several important government policies, including tuition fees, foundation hospitals, and military action against Iraq and Afghanistan.

During the mayoral race, she refused to agree to the party's unwritten manifesto: "I told them I wouldn't sign a blank cheque". And, when she learnt about false reports that she was about to pull out of the race – or even from Parliament, she described the party spin machine in a way that can't be reproduced on a family website like ours. This may explain why she is now contented to work to "improve people's lives" from the backbenches (New Statesman, 29/11/99).

One-Faced: Unlike the Millbank tendency, Glenda states proudly: "I have never believed you make your case stronger by bad-mouthing your opposition" (The Times, 21/12/99). She criticised attacks on John Prescott, and described Neil Kinnock as "inordinately intelligent". During the race for the mayoral nomination, she praised Frank Dobson's "decent and open" nature and Ken Livingstone's "experience [and] ability to speak to an audience" (BBC News Online, 13/01/00). In return, Ken called her "very convincing as a potential mayor," and admitted: "if I'd been in my opponents' shoes, I'd have ignored me and shoved everything behind Glenda" (New Statesman, 29/11/99).

Social Conscience: Glenda matches anti-Thatcherite rhetoric with liberal social policies. She said Maggie's "no such thing as society" statement angered her, and admitted she "would have done anything legal to get that ghastly Mrs Thatcher out" (interview, Varsity.co.uk; The Times, 13/12/99). Her platform when running for mayor was the antithesis of Thatcherite social policy – it tackled poverty, homelessness, unemployment and environmental issues. She has said: "the most important thing to me is not what is written on the membership card in my pocket; what is important to me is the children who are sleeping rough on my streets, my elderly constituents who are afraid to go out at night" (Guardian Unlimited, Ask Aristotle).

The Big Issue: Sleeping rough has always been a key priority for Glenda. During her mayoral campaign, she said that, by the end of her first term in office, London's homeless would have "an individual member of a mayoral task force appointed to deal with issues such as ill-health and re-skilling" (The Times, 13/12/99). She blamed the Thatcher government for causing "the first explosion of serious homelessness" by closing doss houses, and argues it is not just the housing department's responsibility, but also social and health services (Interview, Spare Change News, Boston). After Ken Livingstone's election as Mayor, he appointed her to his Advisory Cabinet as the representative for the homeless.

The White Flag: Like many on the left, Glenda opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Appearing at Stop The War Coalition Meetings, alongside politicians, writers, comedians and Miss Dynamite, she described the war as "illegal immoral" and attacked the "continued use of cluster bombs near urban areas" (Camden Stop the War Meeting, 09/04/03). During the conflict itself, she said: "it's highly unlikely that anybody is going to have the stomach for overturning the government" (Guardian, 13/03/03). But, by July, following the death of Dr David Kelly, she called for government resignations over the "sacrifice" of "a highly respected, innocent, devoted public servant". However, ever a realist, she accepted the terms of the Hutton enquiry, as set by the government, would not be wide enough for things to go that far (Morning Star, 21/07/03).

Left, Right, Left, Right: Glenda's voting record has not always reflected her anti-war and left wing credentials. While a minister, she voted with the government to limit access to incapacity benefit and to cut lone parent benefits. Despite her opposition to the 2003 invasion, she voted to allow military action against Iraq five years earlier. Since leaving ministerial office, she has voted to allow the detainment of foreign terrorists without trial and against extending the freedom of information.

The Runaway Train: Glenda built her reputation on resisting Tory privatisation of the railways. Yet, while Minister for Transport in London, she supported Public-Private Partnership for London Underground, saying: "the government just does not have the funds" (Socialist Worker, 27/11/99). This stance continued through her mayoral campaign. Some commentators pointed out: "it is hard to see how any private doubts could be expressed since [she] loyally backed the policy while minister" (BBC Online, 13/01/00). But, after Ken's victory, she said: "we are not advocating even partial privatisation [of the railways]. Why reward those who have used a substantial amount of public money and not provided a quality service?" (Interview, Varsity.co.uk). A fair point – but why should one rule apply to the tube and another to the railways?

Education, Education, Education: Glenda has also shifted on the tuition fees issue. She said: "It would be nice if education was free to everyone who wanted it, but that's not the world we live in. The old argument that the working class won't enter higher education because they are afraid of getting into debt is patronising." (interview, Varsity.co.uk). Yet, in 1998, while a minister, she voted for a government bill that cut funding. However, she rebelled against the government in the recent vote on the issue. Whether this is a principled stand against a badly drafted bill remains to be seen.

Cough, Cough: Glenda smokes like a chimney. Deborah Ross comments: "even if I were blindfolded, I'd find Ms. Jackson's office straight off, because of her being a 40-a-dayer. It's like being hit in the face by a thousand ashtrays" (Independent, 24/02/03). Yet, during her mayoral campaign, she sternly instructed a camera crew to avoid filming her smoking (BBC Online, 13/01/00). Hypocrisy, perhaps?

Getting Jiggy With It: Glenda is the only MP to have been described in print as "the woman who had her nipples sucked by Oliver Reed" (New Statesman, 29/11/99). As if that wasn't perverse enough, she let someone film it. Luckily, the results – Ken Russell's 1969 adaptation of D.H.Lawrence's Women in Love – won her an Oscar.

Daisy, Daisy: During the 1999 series of Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show, Daisy Donovan innocently approached Glenda with the question: "Acting – is it about getting into the part, or is it about getting that great big part inside of you?" Glenda didn't get the joke.

Fifteen Minutes: Glenda has been highly critical of the ego-fuelled nature of British politics, arguing: "the Chamber is not about solving problems – it's about point-scoring." She has described with despair the way some MPs check who will be first up at Prime Minister's Questions, in an attempt to get their faces on the telly. One, sadly anonymous, member summed up this search for stardom on Glenda's election in 1992 by asking her: "what are you doing here? You're famous already!" (interview, Varsity.co.uk).

Glenda Jackson is probably the best Home Secretary we never had. Dedicated and independent, she believes in social responsibility but understands there is no such thing as a free lunch. However, she could do with more consistency in some of her policy positions.

You have heard the evidence from both sides. It is now the responsibility of you, the Jury, to pass verdict on the accused. Her fate is in your hands.

Born on 9th May 1936 in Birkenhead, Merseyside, Glenda Jackson is the daughter of a charlady and a bricklayer. She attended grammar school, but left at the age of 16 to work in a branch of Boots and local Butlin's Holiday Camp bar. At 18, she moved to London to train as an actress at RADA.

After graduating, she performed in a variety of plays including The Idiot, Hamlet and Three Sisters, before moving to films that included Sunday, Bloody Sunday, Mary, Queen of Scots and the BBC's Elizabeth R, a part which required her to shave her head. Her roles in Women in Love and A Touch of Class both won her "Best Actress" Oscars - awards she claims to have given her mother to put in the cupboard under the stairs. Once a success, she paid for her parents to move from a two-up, two-down to a larger house nearby.

During the 1970s, Glenda began to campaign for the Labour party, appearing in party political broadcasts, signing letters and campaigning in marginal seats – which she claims the party "always lost". She was elected the party's MP for Hampstead and Highgate in 1992 – facing Conservative opponent Oliver Letwin – and became the opposition spokesman on transport in 1996.

Following the 1997 election, she became Junior Minister for Transport in London, but stood down to devote time to her campaign to be Labour's candidate for London Mayor in 1999. However, she came third and was heavily critical of the leadership's bias towards Frank Dobson, describing the race as "a hideous mistake" and noting: "our only saving grace is that the Conservatives made a bigger cock-up than us". Since then, she has remained a backbencher, but serves as the Mayor's advisor on homelessness.