Labour MPs Gwyneth Dunwoody (1930-2008) and Joan Lestor (1931-1998) were first elected to Parliament at the 1966 general election, and served in Parliament for the rest of their lives. Both held ministerial office, but were willing to defy the party’s … Continue reading Gwyneth Dunwoody and Joan Lestor

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. In 1964, Labour candidates Anne Kerr (1925-1973), Margaret McKay (1907-1996) and Renée Short (1919-2003) secured the seats of Rochester and Chatham, Clapham, and Wolverhampton North-East, and … Continue reading Anne Kerr, Margaret McKay and Renée Short

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Conservative Muriel Gammans (1898-1989) and Ulster Unionist Patricia McLaughlin (1916-1997) served as MPs from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s. They had different political interests, but … Continue reading Muriel Gammans and Patricia McLaughlin

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Judith Hart (1924-1991) and Betty Harvie Anderson (1913-1979) were elected for Scottish constituencies in October 1959. Hart gained Lanark for Labour and held the seat until … Continue reading Judith Hart and Betty Harvie Anderson

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) was the first woman to serve as leader of the Conservative party, the United Kingdom’s first female Prime Minister, and the longest-serving Prime … Continue reading Margaret Thatcher

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Conservative MPs Mervyn Pike (1918-2004) and Joan Quennell (1923-2006) both served in the Second World War, using their wartime experiences to gain managerial experience before winning … Continue reading Mervyn Pike and Joan Quennell

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Labour and Co-operative MP Joyce Butler (1910-1992) and Conservative MP Evelyn Emmet (1899-1980) both served in local government before their election in 1955 and shared an … Continue reading Joyce Butler and Evelyn Emmet

Women MPs, 1955-1964 The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Twenty of the 21 women who were serving as MPs when a general election was called in 1955 were re-elected, with only Patricia … Continue reading Women MPs, 1955-1964