Former Labour MP Joan Maynard. Alamy G4A73C

Maureen Colquhoun and Joan Maynard

The next in our series on women MPs by the House of Commons Hansard Writing Team. Labour’s Maureen Colquhoun (1928-2021) and Joan Maynard (1921-1998) were both elected in 1974’s general elections. They were campaigning MPs with strong commitments to their … Continue reading Maureen Colquhoun and Joan Maynard

Women and Wales: Achieving Political Power

Our first post of 2019 is a guest post by Oonagh Gay, UK Vote 100 volunteer Inspirational women of Wales A couple of years ago a task force called Monumental Welsh Women  came together, and in May 2018 assisted  the Welsh Women’s Equality Network to draw up a list of 100 historical Welsh women who epitomised and illustrated the achievements, talents and successes of Welsh women over the years. They announced a campaign to establish a new statue of an inspirational Welsh woman, sponsored by the Welsh Government. The campaign highlighted the lack of available images in Wales of women … Continue reading Women and Wales: Achieving Political Power

Ancient Suffragettes?

Guest post by Professor Barbara Goff What can students of ancient Greece and Rome do to mark the centenary of some British women obtaining the vote?  Surely ancient history had nothing to do with the struggles for suffrage?  In fact, as an exhibition in the Classics Department of the University of Reading currently shows, the movement for women’s suffrage looked to ancient history for examples, inspiration, and even humour.  The suffrage magazines Votes for Women and Common Cause regularly featured articles, creative writing, and cartoons that drew on the literature and history of ancient Greece and Rome.  Suffrage agitators included … Continue reading Ancient Suffragettes?