The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Twenty-four women were elected to Parliament in 1945, 21 of whom represented Labour, including Bessie Braddock (1899-1970), for Liverpool Exchange, and Florence Paton (1891-1976), for Rushcliffe. … Continue reading Bessie Braddock and Florence Paton

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Freda Corbet and Clarice Shaw shared a background in teaching, and both served as magistrates.  They played a greater role in their local areas and in … Continue reading Freda Corbet and Clarice Shaw

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Alice Bacon (1909-1993) and Grace Colman (1892-1971) were both elected as Labour MPs in 1945, having been active in the party for many years. Both were … Continue reading Alice Bacon and Grace Colman

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Barbara Castle (1910-2002), Labour’s Red Queen, is remembered for her staunch commitment to gender equality, her achievements in three large Departments of State­—Transport; Employment and Productivity; … Continue reading Barbara Castle

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Agnes Hardie and Jennie Adamson were Scottish working-class women who fought poverty, campaigned for women and advocated peace. They became Labour MPs in middle age, with … Continue reading Agnes Hardie and Jennie Adamson

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Frances Marjorie Graves’s paternal grandfather Samuel Robert Graves was a Conservative MP for Liverpool while Joan Davidson’s paternal grandfather Sebastian Dickinson was a Liberal MP for … Continue reading Marjorie Graves and Joan Davidson

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Dame Irene Ward (1895-1980) and Dr Edith Summerskill (1901-1980) were two of their parties’ longest-serving MPs. Both fought for equal pay and equality for women in … Continue reading Irene Ward and Edith Summerskill

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Mary Pickford (1884-1934) and Norah Runge (1884-1978) were two of the 15 women MPs elected in 1931, and both served for just one Parliament. Both were active … Continue reading Mary Pickford and Norah Runge

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Conservative MPs Mavis Tate (1893-1947) and Thelma Cazalet-Kier (1899-1989) played a key role in shifting the issue of equal pay up the political agenda. They both … Continue reading Mavis Tate and Thelma Cazalet-Kier

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Ida Copeland and Sarah Ward both benefited from the swing to the Conservatives at the 1931 general election, becoming Members for what had been safe Labour … Continue reading Ida Copeland and Sarah Ward