Author: ukvote100

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WE CAN’T BREATHE

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We are grateful to Dr Dana Mills for this interesting blog reflecting on Mary Wollstonecraft’s ideas on political equality and their continuing relevance. She discusses a Vote100 favourite ‘the ventilator’ an area we would love to know more about, particularly first-hand accounts by women who visited it, so please do let us know if you come across any. WE CAN’T BREATHE Equality of political rights is inextricably linked to equality in access to political and public spaces. But Mary Wollstonecraft already said that in 1790. By Dana Mills (1) The Ventilation Room “We can’t breathe”, said the women huddled in the … Continue reading WE CAN’T BREATHE

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New Dawn

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Welcome to New Dawn artist Mary Branson’s Artist-in-Residence diary. New Dawn is a light sculpture commemorating the campaign for votes for women in Parliament. Unveiled in June 2016, it is part of the Parliamentary Art Collection. The artwork developed from Mary’s period as Artist-in-Residence to Women’s Suffrage in the Houses of Parliament in 2014. During her six-month […] via Welcome! — New Dawn Continue reading New Dawn

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Continuing a tradition: Women MPs who are widows of former Members

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The most recent woman to be elected as an MP is Gill Furniss who won the by-election in the constituency of Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough on 5 May 2016. She is the widow of Henry Harpham MP, who won the seat in the 2015 general election, but died on 4 February 2016. Ms Furniss served on Sheffield council for 16 years and made her maiden speech on 23 May 2016 during a debate on public services.[1]  There is a distinguished set of women MPs who won seats after the deaths of their husbands, who had previously held the seats, and … Continue reading Continuing a tradition: Women MPs who are widows of former Members

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Official Typist to Parliament

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If you’ve seen the movie Suffragette, you’ll remember the scene when Maud gives evidence in a House of Commons committee room about her life in the laundry. You may also remember how overwhelming male her audience was. The committee, chaired by Lloyd George, is made up of MPs who were all men in this period. Everyone else in the room is male too, except for Maud’s friends at the back of course, and – a female typist. The typist is there sitting near the front, her fingers tapping away at a keyboard, taking down the minutes of evidence. You only … Continue reading Official Typist to Parliament

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‘Why this fascination with an MP who died 70 years ago? Helen Goodman, Labour MP for Bishop Auckland writes about Eleanor Rathbone

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Originally posted on Remembering Eleanor Rathbone:
Eleanor Rathbone ? A number of celebrations are taking place this year of Eleanor Rathbone. In Liverpool recently a thousand people attended a lecture about her. Why this fascination with an MP who died 70 years ago, never held Ministerial Office and died before the reform to which she devoted her life was introduced? I believe it is because the causes she espoused are still with us today. The conditions may have changed, but the arguments remain the same. Her principle campaigns were for family allowances, refugees and women’s rights. Eleanor Rathbone was –… Continue reading ‘Why this fascination with an MP who died 70 years ago? Helen Goodman, Labour MP for Bishop Auckland writes about Eleanor Rathbone

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The Eligibility of Constance Markievicz

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The History of Parliament On 14th December 1918, Countess Constance Markievicz (1868-1927) became the first woman to be elected to the UK Parliament, but she did not take her seat. Dr Mari Takayanagi, Senior Archivist at the Parliamentary Archives  and joint Project Manager for Vote 100  discusses how this came about and whether she would in fact have been eligible to be an MP. In 1918, the Representation of the People Act allowed some women over the age of 30 to vote in Parliamentary elections for the first time, and the Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act allowed women over the … Continue reading The Eligibility of Constance Markievicz

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A Rush on the House of Commons 13 October 1908

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In September 1908 Emmeline Pankhurst together with Christabel Pankhurst and Flora Drummond decided the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) should organise a rush on the House of Commons.  The rush would be the first major protest of the new Parliament. They issued a leaflet encouraging members of the public to support the rush.  Printed on purple and green paper it read: In 8th October the leaflet came into the possession of the police and as a result they issued summonses to all three women for inciting the public to undertake an illegal act. On Sunday 11th October they held a large rally in … Continue reading A Rush on the House of Commons 13 October 1908

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‘A fantastic coincidence’: My day as an extra on the film set of ‘Suffragette’

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Today Suffragette is released to cinemas around the country, and we are celebrating with this second blog from one of the film’s rather special ‘extras’ Peter Barratt. Peter’s great-grandmother was WSPU member Alice Hawkins. Alice was an extraordinary working woman who made things happen. ‘A fantastic coincidence’: My day as an extra on the film set of Suffragette My great-grandmother Alice Hawkins was a working class suffragette of a 100 years ago who was first arrested outside the Houses of Parliament in 1907, on the day of the State opening of Parliament. A shoe machinist by trade, Alice formed the … Continue reading ‘A fantastic coincidence’: My day as an extra on the film set of ‘Suffragette’

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BEING AN EXTRA IN THE FEATURE FILM SUFFRAGETTE

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To celebrate the release of Suffragette we are publishing two blogs by people who were very special film extras, the first, released as the premier is only hours away, is by June Purvis, Emeritus Professor of Women’s and Gender History at the University of Portsmouth and an historical advisor to the film. Professor Purvis will be known to many as the author of some of the best modern writing on women’s suffrage including Emmeline Pankhurst: a biography published in 2002. BEING AN EXTRA IN THE FEATURE FILM SUFFRAGETTE I was thrilled to be asked to be an ‘extra’ in the … Continue reading BEING AN EXTRA IN THE FEATURE FILM SUFFRAGETTE