|
|
FORMER WOMEN
MPs FIRST ELECTED IN THE 1970s
|
Doris
Fisher (Baroness Fisher of Rednal)
|
|
Date of Birth
|
13 September
1919 (née
Satchwell)
|
|
Family
|
married,
two children
|
|
Education
|
Fircroft
College
|
|
Early career
|
housewife
|
|
Early political experience
|
Birmingham
City Council (1952-74), contested Birmingham Ladywood (1969)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
House
of Commons: 1970-74 (ret.); House of Lords: 1974-date
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Birmingham
Ladywood
|
|
Opposition portfolios
|
Assistant
Whip, Environment (1983-84)
|
|
Other Public
offices
|
JP (1961)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
Life Peerage
(1974)
|
|
Died
|
18 September
2005
|
Return to top.
|
Joan
Hall
|
|
Date of Birth
|
31 August 1935
|
|
Family
|
unmarried, no
children
|
|
Education
|
Ashridge House
of Citizenship
|
|
Early career
|
secretary
|
|
Early political experience
|
Vice chairman,
Greater London Young Conservatives (1964); contested Barnsley (1964,
1966)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1970-Feb. 1974
(def.)
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Keighley
|
|
Offices held
|
PPS to Minister
of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (1972-74)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
CBE (1990)
|
Return to top.
|
Mary Holt
|
|
Date of Birth
|
1924
|
|
Family
|
unmarried
|
|
Education
|
Girton College,
Cambridge
|
|
Early career
|
barrister
|
|
Early political experience &
other campaigns
|
contested Preston
North (Oct. 1974)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1970-Feb. 1974
(def.)
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Preston North
|
|
Other public offices
|
circuit court
judge (1977-95)
|
Return to top.
|
Constance Monks
|
|
Date of Birth
|
May 1911 (née
Green)
|
|
Family
|
married
|
|
Education
|
Leeds City Training
College
|
|
Early career
|
teacher
|
|
Early political experience
|
Chorley Borough
Council (1947-67, Mayor 1959-60); Lancashire County Council (1961-64);
contested Chorley (1966)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1970-Feb. 1974
(def.)
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Chorley
|
|
Other public offices
|
JP
|
|
Honours or titles
|
OBE (1962)
|
Return to top.
|
Peggy Fenner
|
|
Date of Birth
|
12 November
1922
|
|
Family
|
married, one
child
|
|
Education
|
LCC School Brockley;
Ide Hill, Sevenoaks
|
|
Early career
|
housewife
|
|
Early political experience
|
Sevenoaks Rural
District Council (1957-71); contested Newcastle-under-Lyme (1966)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
Commons: 1970-97
(def.); European Parliament: 1974-75
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Rochester &
Chatham, Medway (1983-)
|
|
Offices held
|
Parliamentary
Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (1972-74,
1981-86)
|
|
Other public offices
|
DL Kent (1992)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
DBE (1986)
|
Return to top.
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Sally Oppenheim
(Baroness Oppenheim-Barnes)
|
|
Date of Birth
|
26 July 1930
(née
Viner)
|
|
Family
|
married, three
children including Philip Oppenheim MP
|
|
Education
|
Lowther College,
North Wales
|
|
Early career
|
social worker
|
|
Years in parliament
|
Commons: 1970-87
(ret.); Lords: 1989-date
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Gloucester
|
|
Offices held
|
Minister of
State, Department of Trade (Minister for Consumer Affairs), 1979-82
|
|
Opposition portfolios
|
Prices &
Consumer Protection (1974-79; Shadow Cabinet from 1975)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
life peerage
(1989)
|
Return to top.
|
Janet Fookes (Baroness
Fookes)
|
|
Date of Birth
|
21 February
1936
|
|
Family
|
unmarried
|
|
Education
|
Royal Holloway
College, University of London
|
|
Early career
|
teacher
|
|
Early political experience
|
Hastings Borough
Council (1960-61, 1963-70)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
Commons: 1970-97
(ret.); Lords: 1997-date
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Merton &
Morden; Plymouth Drake (1974-)
|
|
Offices held
|
Deputy Speaker
(1992-97)
|
|
Other public offices
|
RSPCA Council
(1975-92, chair 1979-81); Commonwealth War Graves Commission (1987-97);
DL East Sussex (2001)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
DBE (1989)
|
Return to top.
|
(Mary) Elaine
Kellett-Bowman
|
|
Date of Birth
|
8 July 1924
(née
Kay)
|
|
Family
|
married, four
children; widowed and remarried Edward Bowman, future MEP
|
|
Education
|
St Anne's College,
Oxford
|
|
Early career
|
barrister
|
|
Early political experience
|
Denbigh Borough
Council (1952-55); Camden Borough Council (1968-74); contested Nelson
& Colne (1955), South West Norfolk (Mar. and Oct. 1959), Buckingham
(1964, 1966)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
House of Commons:
1970-97 (ret.); European Parliament: 1975-84 (def.)
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Commons: Lancaster;
European Parliament: Cumbria & Lancashire North
|
|
Honours or titles
|
DBE (1988)
|
Return to top.
|
Betty Boothroyd
(Baroness Boothroyd)
|
|
Date of Birth
|
8 October 1929
|
|
Family
|
unmarried
|
|
Education
|
Dewsbury College
of Commerce & Art
|
|
Early career
|
political assistant
|
|
Early political experience
|
Hammersmith
Borough Council (1965-68), contested Leicester South East (1957),
Peterborough (1959), Nelson & Colne (1968), Rossendale (1970)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
House of Commons:
1973-2000 (ret.); House of Lords; 2000-date; European Parliament:
1975-77
|
|
Party
|
Labour; Non-Party
(1992-date)
|
|
Constituency
|
West Bromwich,
West Bromwich West (1974-)
|
|
Offices held
|
Assistant Whip
(1974-75); Deputy Speaker of the House (1987-92); Speaker of the
House (1992-2000)
|
|
Other public offices
|
Labour Party
NEC (1981-87), Chancellor, Open University (1994-date)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
life peerage
(2000)
|
|
Further reading
|
Paul Routledge,
Madam Speaker (1995); Boothroyd, Betty Boothroyd: The
Autobiography (2001).
|
Return to top.
|
Margo MacDonald
|
|
Date of Birth
|
19 April 1943
(née
Aitken)
|
|
Family
|
divorced, remarried
MP
|
|
Education
|
Dunfermline
College
|
|
Early career
|
teacher, freelance
journalist
|
|
Early political experience &
other campaigns
|
contested Paisley
(1970), Hamilton (Oct. 1974 1978)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
House of Commons:
1973-74; Scottish Parliament: 1999-date
|
|
Party
|
Scottish National
Party, Independent (2002-)
|
|
Constituency
|
Commons: Glasgow
Govan; Scottish Parliament: Lothians
|
|
Offices held
|
SNP Vice Chairman
(1972-79)
|
|
Committees
|
Convenor of
committee on secondary legislation
|
Return to top.
|
Lynda
Chalker (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)
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|
Date of Birth
|
29 April 1942
(née
Bates)
|
|
Family
|
twice married,
no children
|
|
Education
|
Heidelberg University,
London University, Central London Polytechnic
|
|
Career
|
statistician,
market research manager; independent consultant on Africa and development
for business and World Bank (1997-)
|
|
Early political experience
|
National Vice
chairman, Young Conservatives (1970-71)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
House of Commons:
Feb. 1974-92 (def); House of Lords (1992-date)
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Wallasey
|
|
Offices held
|
Under-Secretary
of State, Department of Health & Social Security (1979-82);
Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (1982-83); Minister
of State, Department of Transport (1983-86); Minister of State,
Foreign & Commonwealth Office (Minister for Overseas Development),
1986-97
|
|
Opposition portfolios
|
Social Services
(1976-79)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
life peerage
(1992)
|
Return to top.
|
Maureen Colquhoun
|
|
Date of Birth
|
12 August 1928
|
|
Family
|
divorced, three
children
|
|
Education
|
London School
of Economics
|
|
Early career
|
literary research
assistant
|
|
Early political experience
|
West Sussex
County Council (1971-74); contested Tonbridge (1970)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
Feb. 1974-79
(def.)
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Northampton
North
|
|
Other public offices
|
Hackney Borough
Council (1982-90)
|
|
Publications
|
Colquhoun, A
Woman in the House (1980)
|
Return to top.
|
Jo Richardson
|
|
Date of Birth
|
28 August 1923
|
|
Family
|
unmarried
|
|
Education
|
Southend-on-Sea
School for Girls
|
|
Early career
|
export manager
|
|
Early political experience
|
contested Monmouth
(1951), Hornchurch (1955), Harrow East (1964)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
Feb. 1974-94
(obit)
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Barking
|
|
Other public offices
|
Labour Party
NEC (1979-91), Vice President of Committee for Nuclear Disarmament
|
|
Died
|
1 February 1994
|
Return to top.
|
Audrey Wise
|
|
Date of Birth
|
4 January 1934
(née
Brown)
|
|
Family
|
married, two
children
|
|
Education
|
Rutherford High
School
|
|
Early career
|
typist
|
|
Early political experience and
other campaigns
|
Tottenham Council
(four years), contested Woolwich (1983)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
Feb. 1974-1979
(def.), 1987-2000 (obit)
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Coventry South
West, Preston (1987-)
|
|
Other public
offices
|
Labour Party
NEC (1982-87), SDAWU President (1991-97)
|
|
Death
|
2 September
2000
|
Return to top.
|
Margaret Beckett
|
|
Date of Birth
|
15 January 1943
|
|
Family
|
married, two
step-sons
|
|
Education
|
Manchester College
of Science & Technology
|
|
Early career
|
engineering
apprentice, political adviser
|
|
Early political experience
|
contested Lincoln
(Feb. 1974)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
Oct. 1974-79
(def.), 1983-date
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Lincoln, Derby
South (1983-)
|
|
Offices held
|
PPS to Minister
for Overseas Development (1974-75); Assistant Whip (1975-76); Under-Secretary
of State, Department of Education & Science (1976-79); Secretary
of State for Trade & Industry (1997-98); Leader of the House
of Commons (1998-2001), Secretary of State for Environment, Food
& Rural Affairs (2001-date)
|
|
Opposition portfolios
|
Social Security
(1984-89), Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury (1989-92); Deputy
Leader of the Labour Party (1992-94); Acting Leader of the Opposition
(1994)
|
|
Other public offices
|
Labour Party
NEC (1980-81, 1985-86, 1988-97)
|
Return to top.
|
(Winifred) Ann
Taylor
|
|
Date of Birth
|
2 July 1947
(née
Bowling)
|
|
Family
|
married, two
children
|
|
Education
|
Bradford University,
Sheffield University
|
|
Early career
|
Open University
Tutor
|
|
Early political experience
|
Holmfirth UDC
(1972-74), contested Bolton West (Feb. 1974)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
Oct. 1974-83
(def.), 1987-date
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Bolton West,
Dewsbury (1987-)
|
|
Offices held
|
PPS
to Secretary of State for Education & Science (1975-76); Secretary
of State for Defence (1976-77); Assistant Whip (1977-79);
Leader of the House of Commons (1997-98), Government Chief Whip
(1998-2001)
|
|
Opposition portfolios
|
Education (1979-81),
Housing (1981-83), Home Office (1987-88), Environment (1988-92),
Shadow Education Secretary (1992-94), Shadow Leader of the House
(1994-97)
|
|
Committees chaired
|
Modernisation
Committee (1997-98), Security & Intelligence (2001-date)
|
Return to top.
|
Millie Miller
|
|
Date of Birth
|
April 1923
|
|
Family
|
married, two
children
|
|
Early career
|
social worker
|
|
Early political experience
|
Mayor of Stoke
Newtington (1957-58), Camden (1967-68); contested Ilford North (Feb.
1974)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
Oct. 1974-77
(obit)
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Ilford North
|
|
Offices held
|
PPS to Minister
of State, Department of Prices & Consumer Protection (1976-77)
|
|
Death
|
29 October 1977
|
Return to top.
|
Helene
Hayman (Baroness Hayman)
|
|
Date of Birth
|
26 March 1949
(née
Middleweek)
|
|
Family
|
married, one
son
|
|
Education
|
Newnham College,
Cambridge
|
|
Early career
|
National Council
for Single Parent Families
|
|
Early political experience
|
contested Wolverhampton
South West (Feb. 1974)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
House of Commons:
Oct. 1974-79 (def.), House of Lords: 1996-date
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Welwyn &
Hatfield
|
|
Offices held
|
Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport
& the Regions (Minister for Roads) (1997-98); Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (1998-99); Minister
of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (1999-2001)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
life peerage
(1996)
|
Return to top.
|
Margaret Ewing
(Margaret Bain)
|
|
Date of Birth
|
1 September
1945 (née
McAdam)
|
|
Family
|
married; divorced
and remarried to Fergus Ewing MSP, son of Winnie Ewing MSP
|
|
Education
|
Strathclyde
University, Jordan Hill College of Education
|
|
Early career
|
teacher
|
|
Years in parliament
|
House of Commons:
1974-83, 1987-2001, Scottish Parliament: 1999-date
|
|
Party
|
Scottish National
Party
|
|
Constituency
|
Commons: Dunbartonshire
East, Moray (1987-);
Scottish Parliament: Moray
|
|
Death
|
21 March 2006
|
Return to top.
|
(Vera) Joan Maynard
|
|
Date of Birth
|
1921
|
|
Family
|
unmarried
|
|
Education
|
Left Ampleforth village primary school at the age of fourteen.
|
|
Early career
|
agriculture
union
|
|
Early political experience
|
North Yorkshire
County Council
|
|
Years in parliament
|
Oct. 1974-87
(ret.)
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Sheffield Brightside
|
|
Offices held
|
JP (1950), Labour
Party NEC (1972-82, 1983-87)
|
|
Death
|
27 March 1998
|
|
Further reading
|
Kristine Mason O'Connor, Joan Maynard: A Passionate Socialist
(2003)
|
Return to top.
|
Oonagh McDonald
|
|
Date of Birth
|
1938
|
|
Family
|
married
|
|
Education
|
King's College
London (Ph.D.)
|
|
Early career
|
lecturer, research
and management consultant
|
|
Early political experience
|
contested Gloucestershire
South (Feb. and Oct. 1974)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1976-87 (def.)
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Thurrock
|
|
Offices held
|
PPS to Chief
Secretary to HM Treasury (1977-79)
|
|
Opposition portfolios
|
Defence (1981-83),
Treasury & the Civil Service (1983-87)
|
|
Honours or titles
|
CBE (1998)
|
Return to top.
|
(Irene) Sheila
Faith
|
|
Date of Birth
|
3 June 1928
(née Book)
|
|
Family
|
married, no
children
|
|
Education
|
University of
Durham
|
|
Early career
|
dental surgeon
|
|
Early political experience
|
Northfield City
Council (1970-74), Newcastle City Council (1975-77); contested Newcastle
Central (Oct. 1974)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
Commons: 1979-83
(ret.); European Parliament: 1984-89 (ret.)
|
|
Party
|
Conservative
|
|
Constituency
|
Commons: Belper,
European Parliament: Cumbria & Lancashire North
|
|
Other public offices
|
JP (1972-date)
|
Return to top.
|
Sheila Wright
|
|
Date of Birth
|
22 March 1925
(née Gregory)
|
|
Family
|
married, two
children
|
|
Education
|
Southampton
University
|
|
Early career
|
social worker
|
|
Early political experience
|
Birmingham City
Council (1956-78); West Midlands County Council (1973-81)
|
|
Years in parliament
|
1979-83 (ret.)
|
|
Party
|
Labour
|
|
Constituency
|
Birmingham Handsworth
|
Return to top.
|
