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FORMER
WOMEN MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS BY PARTY
This page (accurate as at 25 October 2010) list all former
women MPs by party, beginning with Labour which has had the most, the
Conservatives, and the Liberals, SDP, and Liberal Democrats. Independents
and representatives of regional parties are included in the final table.
The few women who sat for more than one party in parliament are listed
twice, though Cynthia Mosley does not receive a separate listing as an
MP for her husband's short-lived New Party.
Table
1a: Former women Labour MPs
|
Name
|
Constituency
|
Dates
|
| Dorothy
Jewson |
Norwich |
1923-24
|
| Susan
Lawrence |
East
Ham North |
1923-24,
1926-31
|
| Margaret
Bondfield |
Northampton,
Wallsend (1926-) |
1923-24,
1926-31
|
| Ellen
Wilkinson |
Middlesbrough
East, Jarrow (1935-) |
1924-31,
1935-47
|
| Ruth
Dalton |
Bishop
Auckland |
1929
|
| Ethel
Bentham |
Islington
East |
1929-31
|
| Mary
Agnes Hamilton |
Blackburn |
1929-31
|
| Cynthia
Mosley * |
Stoke-on-Trent |
1929-31
|
| Marion
Phillips |
Sunderland |
1929-31
|
| Edith
Picton-Turberville |
The
Wrekin |
1929-31
|
| Jennie
Lee |
Lanarkshire
North, Cannock (1945-) |
1929-31,
1945-70
|
| Lady
Noel-Buxton |
Norfolk
North, Norwich (1945-) |
1930-31,
1945-50
|
| Leah
Manning |
Islington
East, Epping (1945-) |
1931,
1945-50
|
| Agnes
Hardie |
Glasgow
Springburn |
1937-45
|
| Jennie
Adamson |
Dartford |
1938-46
|
| Edith
Summerskill |
Fulham
West, Warrington (1955-) |
1938-61
|
| Clarice
Shaw |
Ayrshire
& Bute |
1945-46
|
| Grace
Colman |
Tyneside |
1945-50
|
| Barbara
Gould |
Hendon
North |
1945-50
|
| Muriel
Nichol |
Bradford
North |
1945-50
|
| Florence
Paton |
Rushcliffe |
1945-50
|
| Mabel
Ridealgh |
Ilford
North |
1945-50
|
| Edith
Wills |
Birmingham
Duddeston |
1945-50
|
| Caroline
Ganley |
Battersea
South |
1945-51
|
| Lucy
Middleton |
Plymouth
Sutton |
1945-51
|
| Jean
Mann |
Coatbridge,
Coatbridge & Airdrie (1950-) |
1945-59
|
| Alice
Bacon |
Leeds
North East, Leeds South East (1955-) |
1945-70
|
| Bessie
Braddock |
Liverpool
Exchange |
1945-70
|
| Margaret
Herbison |
Lanarkshire
North |
1945-70
|
| Freda
Corbet |
Camberwell
North West, Peckham (1950-) |
1945-Feb.
1974
|
| Barbara
Castle |
Blackburn,
Blackburn East (1950-5) |
1945-79
|
| Alice
Cullen |
Glasgow
Gorbals |
1948-69
|
| Dorothy
Rees |
Barry |
1950-51
|
| Elaine
Burton |
Coventry
South |
1950-59
|
| Eirene
White |
Flintshire
East |
1950-70
|
| Lena
Jeger |
Holborn
& St Pancras |
1953-59,
1964-79
|
| Harriet
Slater |
Stoke-on-Trent
North |
1953-66
|
| Joyce
Butler |
Wood
Green |
1955-79
|
| Megan
Lloyd George ** |
Camarthen |
1957-66
|
| Mary
McAlistair |
Glasgow
Kelvingrove |
1958-59
|
| Judith
Hart |
Lanark,
Clydesdale (1983-) |
1959-87
|
| Anne
Kerr |
Rochester
& Chatham |
1964-70
|
| Margaret
McKay |
Clapham |
1964-70
|
| Shirley
Summerskill |
Halifax |
1964-83
|
| Renee
Short |
Wolverhampton
North East |
1964-87
|
| Shirley
Williams *** |
Hitchin,
Hertford & Stevenage (1974-) |
1964-79
|
| Gwyneth
Dunwoody |
Crewe
& Nantwich |
1966-70;
Feb1974-2008
|
| Joan
Lestor |
Eton
& Slough, Eccles (1987-) |
1966-83,
1987-97
|
| Doris
Fisher |
Birmingham
Ladywood |
1970-Feb.
1974
|
| Betty
Boothroyd **** |
West
Bromwich, West Bromwich West (1974-) |
1973-1992
|
| Millie
Miller |
Ilford
North |
Oct.
1974-77
|
| Maureen
Colquhoun |
Northampton
North |
Feb.
1974-79
|
| Helene
Hayman |
Welwyn
& Hatfield |
Oct.
1974-79
|
| Ann
Taylor |
Bolton
West, Dewsbury |
Oct.
1974-83, 1987-2005
|
| Audrey
Wise |
Coventry
South West, Preston (1987-) |
Feb.
1974-79
1987-2000
|
| Joan
Maynard |
Sheffield
Brightside |
Oct.
1974-87
|
| Jo
Richardson |
Barking |
Feb.
1974-94
|
| Oonagh
McDonald |
Thurrock |
1976-87
|
| Sheila
Wright |
Birmingham
Handsworth |
1979-83
|
| Helen
McElhone |
Glasgow
Queen's Park |
1982-83
|
| Llin
Golding |
Newcastle-under-Lyme |
1986-2001
|
| Maria
Fyfe |
Glasgow
Maryhill |
1987-2001
|
| Alice
Mahon |
Halifax |
1987-2005
|
| Marjorie
(Mo) Mowlam |
Redcar |
1987-2001
|
| Mildred
Gordon |
Bow
& Poplar |
1987-97
|
| Joyce
Quin |
Gateshead
East & Washington West |
1987-2005
|
| Irene
Adams |
Paisley
North |
1990-2005
|
| Anne
Campbell |
Cambridge |
1992-2005
|
| Jean
Corston |
Bristol
East |
1992-2005
|
| Helen
Jackson |
Sheffield
Hillsborough |
1992-2005
|
| Estelle
Morris |
Birmingham
Yardley |
1992-2005
|
| Rachel
Squire |
Dunfermline
West |
1992-2005
|
| Barbara
Roche |
Hornsey
& Wood Green |
1992-2005
|
| Judith
Church |
Dagenham |
1994-2001
|
| Helen
Liddell |
Monklands
East, Airdrie & Shotts |
1994-2005
|
| Candy
Atherton |
Falmouth
& Camborne |
1997-2005
|
| Christine
Butler |
Castle
Point |
1997-2001
|
| Helen
Clark (nee Brinton) |
Peterborough |
1997-2005
|
| Lynda
Clark |
Edinburgh
Pentlands |
1997-2005
|
| Valerie
Davey |
Bristol
West |
1997-2005
|
|
Julia Drown |
South Swindon |
1997-2005
|
|
Lorna Fitzsimons |
Rochdale |
1997-2005
|
| Eileen
Gordon |
Romford |
1997-2001
|
|
Melanie Johnson |
Welwyn Hatfield |
1997-2005
|
| Fiona
Jones |
Newark |
1997-99,
1999-2001
|
| Jenny
Jones |
Wolverhampton
South West |
1997-2001
|
| Oona
King |
Bethnal
Green & Bow |
1997-2005
|
| Tess
Kingham |
Gloucester |
1997-2001
|
| Jackie
Lawrence |
Preseli
Pembrokeshire |
1997-2005
|
| Diana
Organ |
Forest
of Dean |
1997-2005
|
| Linda
Perham |
Ilford
North |
1997-2005
|
| Debra
Shipley |
Stourbridge |
1997-2005
|
| Rachel
Squire |
Dunfermline
West |
1992-2005
|
| Gwyneth
Dunwoody‡ |
Crewe
& Nantwich |
1974-2008
|
| Janet Anderson |
Rossendale and Darwen |
1992-2010
|
| Hilary Armstrong |
Durham North West |
1987-2010
|
| Charlotte Atkins |
Staffordshire Moorlands |
1997-2010
|
| Vera Baird |
Redcar |
2001-2010
|
| Celia Barlow |
Hove |
2005-2010
|
| Elizabeth Blackman |
Erewash |
1997-2010
|
| Dawn Butler |
Brent South |
2005-2010
|
| Ann Cryer |
Keighly |
1997-2010
|
| Claire Curtis- Thomas |
Crosby |
1997-2010
|
| Janet Dean |
Burton |
1997-2010
|
| Barbara Follett |
Stevenage |
1997-2010
|
| Linda Gilroy |
Plymouth Sutton |
1997-2010
|
| Sylvia Heal |
Halesowen & Rowley Regis |
1990-1992; 1997-2010
|
| Patricia Hewitt |
Leicester West |
1997-2010
|
| Beverley Hughes |
Stretford and Urmston |
1997-2010
|
| Joan Humble |
Blackpool North and Fleetwood |
1997-2010
|
| Lynne Jones |
Birmingham Selly Oak |
1992-2010
|
| Sally Keeble |
Northampton North |
1997-2010
|
| Ann Keen |
Brentford and Isleworth |
1997-2010
|
| Ruth Kelly |
Bolton West |
1997-2010
|
| Jane Kennedy |
Liverpool Wavertree |
1992-2010
|
| Judy Mallaber |
Amber Valley |
1997-2010
|
| Christine McCafferty |
Calder Valley |
1997-2010
|
| Sarah McCarthy-Fry |
Portsmouth North |
2005-2010
|
| Rosemary McKenna |
Cumbernauld & Kilsyth |
1997-2010
|
| Gillian Merron |
Lincoln |
1997-2010
|
| Laura Moffatt |
Crawley |
1997-2010
|
| Anne Moffatt |
East Lothian |
2001-2010
|
| Margaret Moran |
Luton South |
1997-2010
|
| Julie Morgan |
Cardiff North |
1997-2010
|
| Kalie Mountford |
Colne Valley |
1997-2010
|
| Anne Picking |
East Lothian |
2001-2010
|
| Bridget Prentice |
Lewisham East |
1992-2010
|
| Christine Russell |
City of Chester |
1997-2010
|
| Joane Ryan |
Enfield North |
1997-2010
|
| Angela Smith |
Basildon |
1997-2010
|
| Geraldine Smith |
Morecambe and Lunesdale |
1997-2010
|
| Jacqui Smith |
Redditch |
1997-2010
|
| Anne Snelgrove |
Swindon South |
2005-2010
|
| Helen Southworth |
Warrington South |
1997-2010
|
| Dr Phyllis Starkey |
Milton Keynes South West |
1997-2010
|
| Dari Taylor |
Stockton South |
1997-2010
|
| Kitty Ussher |
Burnley |
2005-2010
|
| Linda Waltho |
Stourbridge |
2005-2010
|
| Claire Ward |
Watford |
1997-2010
|
| Betty Williams |
Conwy |
1997-2010
|
* Cynthia Mosley and five others left the Labour Party in 1931 for
the New Party.
** Previously a Liberal MP, see below.
***Later an SDP MP; see below.
**** Subsequently Speaker of the House of Commons, non-party MP for
West Bromwich West 1992-2000
‡ Dunwoody, who died in 2005 after emergency surgery, holds the
record for being the longest serving female MP in the United Kingdom
by length of both total and continuous service.
Table
1b: Labour MPs returned at general elections by gender
|
Year
|
Women
|
Men
|
%
Women
|
|
1918
|
..0
|
...57
|
0
|
|
1922
|
..0
|
142
|
0
|
|
1923
|
..3
|
188
|
2
|
|
1924
|
..1
|
150
|
1
|
|
1929
|
..9
|
278
|
3
|
|
1931
|
..0
|
52
|
0
|
|
1935
|
..1
|
153
|
1
|
|
1945
|
21
|
372
|
5
|
|
1950
|
14
|
301
|
4
|
|
1951
|
11
|
284
|
4
|
|
1955
|
14
|
263
|
5
|
|
1959
|
13
|
245
|
5
|
|
1964
|
18
|
299
|
8
|
|
1966
|
19
|
345
|
5
|
|
1970
|
10
|
277
|
3
|
|
Feb.
1974
|
13
|
288
|
4
|
|
Oct.
1974
|
18
|
301
|
6
|
|
1979
|
11
|
257
|
4
|
|
1983
|
10
|
199
|
5
|
|
1987
|
21
|
208
|
9
|
|
1992
|
37
|
234
|
14..
|
|
1997
|
101..
|
317
|
24..
|
|
2001
|
95
|
317
|
23..
|
|
2005
|
98
|
518
|
30
|
|
2010
|
82
|
175
|
32
|
The
figures for 1918, 1931, and 1935 do not include the few Labour 'coupon
candidates' or National Labour MPs who in each case were elected as
supporters of the coalition governments.
Return
to top.
Table
2a: Former women Conservative MPs
*
Subsequently a Liberal Democrat MP; see below.
Table
2b: Conservative MPs returned at general elections by gender
|
Year
|
Women
|
Men
|
%
Women
|
|
1918
|
0
|
359
|
0
|
|
1922
|
1
|
333
|
....0.2
|
|
1923
|
2
|
246
|
1
|
|
1924
|
3
|
397
|
1
|
|
1929
|
4
|
246
|
2
|
|
1931
|
13..
|
446
|
3
|
|
1935
|
6
|
370
|
2
|
|
1945
|
1
|
188
|
1
|
|
1950
|
6
|
282
|
2
|
|
1951
|
6
|
306
|
2
|
|
1955
|
9
|
326
|
3
|
|
1959
|
11..
|
342
|
3
|
|
1964
|
11..
|
281
|
4
|
|
1966
|
7
|
235
|
3
|
|
1970
|
15..
|
315
|
5
|
|
Feb.
1974
|
9
|
287
|
3
|
|
Oct.
1974
|
7
|
269
|
3
|
|
1979
|
8
|
331
|
2
|
|
1983
|
13..
|
384
|
3
|
|
1987
|
17..
|
358
|
5
|
|
1992
|
20..
|
310
|
6
|
|
1997
|
13..
|
152
|
8
|
|
2001
|
14..
|
152
|
8
|
|
2005
|
17
|
180
|
8
|
|
2010
|
48
|
258
|
16
|
The
figures do not include Ulster Unionists who accepted the Conservative
Whip in the Commons; the two former UUP women MPs are listed in Table
4. The 1918 results include coalition and non-coalition
Conservatives, while National Liberals are included in the totals for
1950 to 1966, when the parties had joint constituency associations.
Return
to top.
Table
3a: Former Liberal, SDP, and Liberal Democrat women MPs
|
Name
|
Party
|
Constituency
|
Dates
|
| Margaret
Wintringham |
Liberal |
Louth |
1921-24
|
| Lady
Terrington |
Liberal |
Wycombe |
1923-24
|
| Hilda
Runciman |
Liberal |
St
Ives |
1928-29
|
| Megan
Lloyd George * |
Liberal |
Anglesey |
1929-51
|
| Elizabeth
Shields |
Liberal |
Ryedale |
1986-87
|
| Shirley
Williams * |
SDP |
Crosby |
1981-83
|
| Rosie
Barnes ** |
SDP,
Social Democrat (1990-) |
Greenwich |
1987-92
|
| Ray
Michie |
Liberal,
SLDP (1988-89) Liberal Democrat |
Argyll
& Bute |
1987-2001
|
| Liz
Lynne |
Liberal
Democrat |
Rochdale |
1992-97
|
| Diana
Maddock |
Liberal
Democrat |
Christchurch |
1993-97
|
| Emma
Nicholson *** |
Liberal
Democrat |
Devon
West & Torridge |
1995-97
|
| Jackie
Ballard |
Liberal
Democrat |
Taunton |
1997-2001
|
| Jenny
Tonge |
Liberal
Democrat |
Richmond
Park |
1997-2005
|
| Patsy
Calton |
Liberal
Democrat |
Cheadle |
2001-2005
|
| Sue
Doughy |
Liberal
Democrat |
Guildford |
2001-2005
|
| Patsy
Calton |
Liberal
Democrat |
Cheadle |
2001-2005
|
| Susan Kramer |
Liberal Democrat |
Richmond Park |
2005-2010
|
| Sandra Gidley |
Liberal Democrat |
Romsey |
2000-2010
|
| Julia Goldsworthy |
Liberal Democrat |
Falmouth & Camborne |
2005-2010
|
* Earlier a Labour MP; see above.
** Rosie Barnes continued to sit as a Social Democrat after the Social
Democratic Party was dissolved in 1990.
*** Earlier a Conservative MP; see above.
Table
3b: Liberal, SDP, and Liberal Democrat MPs returned at general elections
by gender
|
Year
|
Women
|
Men
|
%
Women
|
|
1918
|
0
|
163..
|
0
|
|
1922
|
1
|
114..
|
1
|
|
1923
|
2
|
156..
|
1
|
|
1924
|
0
|
40
|
0
|
|
1929
|
1
|
58
|
2
|
|
1931
|
1
|
71
|
1
|
|
1935
|
1
|
20
|
5
|
|
1945
|
1
|
11
|
8
|
|
1950
|
1
|
8
|
13
|
|
1951
|
0
|
6
|
0
|
|
1955
|
0
|
6
|
0
|
|
1959
|
0
|
6
|
0
|
|
1964
|
0
|
9
|
0
|
|
1966
|
0
|
12
|
0
|
|
1970
|
0
|
..6
|
0
|
|
Feb.
1974
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
|
Oct.
1974
|
0
|
13
|
0
|
|
1979
|
0
|
11
|
0
|
|
1983
|
.....0
(0)
|
......17
(6)
|
.....0
(0)
|
|
1987
|
......1
(1)
|
......16
(4)
|
........6
(20)
|
|
1992
|
2
|
19
|
10..
|
|
1997
|
3
|
43
|
7
|
|
2001
|
5
|
47
|
10..
|
|
2005
|
10
|
52
|
16
|
|
2010
|
7
|
50
|
12
|
The
figures for 1918-22 include followers of Asquith and Lloyd George while
the 1931 results combine the Liberals and National Liberals, who subsequently
sat with the Conservatives. The bracketed figures represent the SDP.
Table
4: Former women independent, Scottish Nationalist, Sinn Féin,
and Unionist MPs
* Previously a Labour MP; see above.
† Robinson, Iris (Strangford) DUP, resigned from
the House of Commons (and NI Assembly) on Jan 13 2010. Her resignation
followed a statement in December 2009 that she would be retiring from
political and public life due to prolonged mental illness. Her resignation
occurred in the midst of a scandal relating to a previous extramarital
affair and accusations of financial impropriety on the part of both
herself and her husband Peter Robinson (MP, First Minister NI). Robinson's
membership of the DUP was also terminated following her resignation
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|
