Former Women Members of the House of Commons by Decade

FORMER WOMEN MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS BY DECADE

Listed below are all the women who were elected to the House of Commons from the 1918 election in which women stood and voted for the first time until the election of 1997 which saw the number of women MPs double. Women whose surnames changed during their political career have both names listed.

Table 9 gives a gender breakdown of each new House of Commons returned since 1918, and Table 10 shows what proportion of by-elections in each parliament between 1918 and 2001 resulted in a woman’s election. Fourteen of the 51 women elected in by-elections were elected for seats vacated by a father or husband.

Table 1: Former women MPs first elected 1918 to 1929

Name / Party / Constituency / Dates
Constance Markievicz / Sinn Féin / Dublin St Patrick's / 1918-22
Viscountess Astor / Conservative / Plymouth Sutton / 1919-45
Margaret Wintringham / Liberal / Louth / 1921-24
Duchess of Atholl / Conservative / Perth & Kinross / 1923-38
Margaret Bondfield / Labour / Northampton, Wallsend (1926-) / 1923-4, 1926-31
Dorothy Jewson / Labour / Norwich / 1923-24
Susan Lawrence / Labour / East Ham North / 1923-24, 1926-31
Mabel Philipson / Conservative / Berwick-upon-Tweed / 1923-29
Lady Terrington / Liberal / Wycombe / 1923-24
Ellen Wilkinson / Labour / Middlesbrough East, Jarrow (1935-) / 1924-31, 1935-47
Countess of Iveagh / Conservative / Southend-on-Sea / 1927-35
Hilda Runciman / Liberal / St Ives / 1928-29
Ruth Dalton / Labour / Bishop Auckland / 1929
Jennie Lee / Labour / Lanarkshire North, Cannock (1945-) / 1929-31, 1945-70
Ethel Bentham / Labour / Islington East / 1929-31
Mary Agnes Hamilton / Labour / Blackburn / 1929-31
Megan Lloyd George / Liberal, Labour (1957-) / Anglesey, Camarthen (1957-) / 1929-51, 1957-66
Cynthia Mosley / Labour, New Party (1931) / Stoke-on-Trent / 1929-31
Marion Phillips / Labour / Sunderland / 1929-31
Edith Picton-Turberville / Labour / The Wrekin / 1929-31
Eleanor Rathbone / Independent / Combined English Universities / 1929-46

Table 2: Former women MPs first elected in the 1930s

Name / Party / Constituency / Dates
Lady Noel-Buxton / Labour / Norfolk North, Norwich (1945-) / 1930-31, 1945-50
Leah Manning / Labour / Islington East, Epping (1945-) / 1931, 1945-50
Thelma Cazalet-Keir (Cazalet until 1939) / Conservative / Islington East / 1931-45
Ida Copeland / Conservative / Stoke-on-Trent / 1931-35
Marjorie Graves / Conservative / Hackney South / 1931-35
Florence Horsbrugh / Conservative / Dundee, Manchester Moss Side (1950-) / 1931-45, 1950-59
Mary Pickford / Conservative / Hammersmith North / 1931-34
Norah Runge / Conservative / Rotherhinthe / 1931-35
Helen Shaw / Conservative / Bothwell / 1931-35
Mavis Tate / Conservative / Willesden West, Frome (1935-) / 1931-45
Irene Ward / Conservative / Wallsend, Tynemouth (1950-) / 1931-45, 1950-Feb. 1974
Sarah Ward / Conservative / Cannock / 1931-35
Viscountess Davidson / Conservative / Hemel Hempstead / 1937-59
Agnes Hardie / Labour / Glasgow Springburn / 1937-45
Edith Summerskill / Labour / Fulham West, Warrington (1955-) / 1938-61
Jennie Adamson / Labour / Dartford / 1938-46

Table 3: Former women MPs first elected in the 1940s

Name / Party / Constituency / Dates
Beatrice Wright
(Rathbone to 1942) / Conservative / Bodmin / 1941-45
Lady Apsley / Conservative / Bristol Central / 1943-45
Clarice Shaw / Labour / Ayrshire & Bute / 1945-46
Grace Colman / Labour / Tyneside / 1945-50
Barbara Gould / Labour / Hendon North / 1945-50
Muriel Nichol / Labour / Bradford North / 1945-50
Florence Paton / Labour / Rushcliffe / 1945-50
Mabel Ridealgh / Labour / Ilford North / 1945-50
Edith Wills / Labour / Birmingham Duddeston / 1945-50
Caroline Ganley / Labour / Battersea South / 1945-51
Lucy Middleton / Labour / Plymouth Sutton / 1945-51
Jean Mann / Labour / Coatbridge, Coatbridge & Airdrie (1950-) / 1945-59
Alice Bacon / Labour / Leeds North East, Leeds South East (1955-) / 1945-70
Bessie Braddock / Labour / Liverpool Exchange / 1945-70
Margaret Herbison / Labour / Lanarkshire North / 1945-70
Freda Corbet / Labour / Camberwell North West, Peckham (1950-) / 1945-Feb. 1974
Barbara Castle / Labour / Blackburn, Blackburn East (1950-5) / 1945-79
Lady Tweedsmuir
(Lady Grant to 1947) / Conservative / Aberdeen South / 1946-66
Alice Cullen / Labour / Glasgow Gorbals / 1948-69

Table 4: Former women MPs first elected in the 1950s

Name / Party / Constituency / Dates
Dorothy Rees / Labour / Barry / 1950-51
Elaine Burton / Labour / Coventry South / 1950-59
Eveline Hill / Conservative / Manchester Wythenshawe / 1950-64
Patricia Hornsby-Smith / Conservative / Chislehurst / 1950-66, 1970-Feb. 1974
Eirene White / Labour / Flintshire East / 1950-70
Patricia Ford / UUP / North Down / 1953-55
Lena Jeger / Labour / Holborn & St Pancras / 1953-59, 1964-79
Edith Pitt / Conservative / Birmingham Edgbaston / 1953-66
Harriet Slater / Labour / Stoke-on-Trent North / 1953-66
Evelyn Emmet / Conservative / East Grinstead / 1955-64
Patricia McLaughlin / UUP / West Belfast / 1955-64
Joan Vickers / Conservative / Plymouth Devonport / 1955-Feb. 1974
Joyce Butler / Labour / Wood Green / 1955-79
Mervyn Pike / Conservative / Melton / 1956-Feb. 1974
Lady Gammans / Conservative / Hornsey / 1957-66
Mary McAlistair / Labour / Glasgow Kelvingrove / 1958-59
Betty Harvie Anderson / Conservative / Renfrewshire East / 1959-79
Judith Hart / Labour / Lanark, Clydesdale (1983-) / 1959-87
Margaret Thatcher / Conservative / Finchley / 1959-92

Table 5: Former women MPs first elected in the 1960s

Name / Party / Constituency / Dates
Joan Quennell / Conservative / Petersfield / 1960-Feb. 1974
Anne Kerr / Labour / Rochester & Chatham / 1964-70
Margaret McKay / Labour / Clapham / 1964-70
Renee Short / Labour / Wolverhampton North East / 1964-87
Shirley Summerskill / Labour / Halifax / 1964-83
Shirley Williams / Labour, SDP (1981-) / Hitchin, Hertford & Stevenage (Feb. 1974-79), Crosby (1981-) / 1964-79, 1981-83
Jill Knight / Conservative / Birmingham Edgbaston / 1966-97
Joan Lestor / Labour / Eton & Slough, Eccles (1987-) / 1966-83, 1987-97
Gwyneth Dunwoody / Labour / Crewe & Nantwich / 1966-1970; Feb 1974-2008
Winifred Ewing / SNP / Hamilton, Moray & Nairn (Feb. 1974-) / 1967-70, Feb. 1974-79
Bernadette McAliskey
(Devlin to 1973) / Independent Unity / Mid Ulster / 1969-Feb. 1974

Table 6: Former women MPs first elected in the 1970s

Name / Party / Constituency / Dates
Doris Fisher / Labour / Birmingham Ladywood / 1970-Feb. 1974
Joan Hall / Conservative / Keighley / 1970-Feb. 1974
Mary Holt / Conservative / Preston North / 1970-Feb. 1974
Constance Monks / Conservative / Chorley / 1970-Feb. 1974
Peggy Fenner / Conservative / Rochester & Chatham, Medway (1983-) / 1970-Feb. 1974, 1979-97
Sally Oppenheim
(Oppenheim-Barnes from 1984) / Conservative / Gloucester / 1970-87
Janet Fookes / Conservative / Merton & Morden, Plymouth Drake (Feb. 1974-) / 1970-97
Elaine Kellett-Bowman / Conservative / Lancaster / 1970-97
Betty Boothroyd / Labour / West Bromwich, West Bromwich West (Feb. 1974-) / 1973-2000
Margo MacDonald / SNP / Glasgow Govan / 1973-Feb. 1974
Lynda Chalker / Conservative / Wallasey / Feb. 1974-92
Maureen Colquhoun / Labour / Northampton North / Feb. 1974-79
Jo Richardson / Labour / Barking / Feb. 1974-94
Ann Taylor / Labour / Bolton West, Dewsbury (1987-) / Oct. 1974-83, 1987-2005
Audrey Wise / Labour / Coventry South West, Preston (1987-) / Feb. 1974-79, 1987-2000
Millie Miller / Labour / Ilford North / Oct. 1974-77
Helene Hayman / Labour / Welwyn & Hatfield / Oct. 1974-79
Margaret Bain
(Ewing from 1983) / SNP / Dunbartonshire East, Moray (1987-) / Oct. 1974-79,
1987-2001
Joan Maynard / Labour / Sheffield Brightside / Oct. 1974-87
Oonagh McDonald / Labour / Thurrock / 1976-87
Sheila Faith / Conservative / Belper / 1979-83
Sheila Wright / Labour / Birmingham Handsworth / 1979-83

Table 7: Former women MPs first elected in the 1980s

Name / Party / Constituency / Dates
Helen McElhone / Labour / Glasgow Queen's Park / 1982-83
Angela Rumbold / Conservative / Mitcham & Morden / 1982-97
Anna McCurley / Conservative / Renfrew West & Inverclyde / 1983-87
Edwina Currie / Conservative / Derbyshire South / 1983-97
Elizabeth Peacock / Conservative / Batley & Spen / 1983-97
Marion Roe / Conservative / Broxbourne / 1983-2005
Virginia Bottomley / Conservative / Surrey South East / 1984-2005
Llin Golding / Labour / Newcastle-under-Lyme / 1986-2001
Elizabeth Shields / Liberal / Ryedale / 1986-87
Rosie Barnes / SDP, Social Democrat (1990-) / Greenwich / 1987-92
Maria Fyfe / Labour / Glasgow Maryhill / 1987-2001
Teresa Gorman / Conservative / Billericay / 1987-2001
Mildred Gordon / Labour / Bow & Poplar / 1987-97
Maureen Hicks / Conservative / Wolverhampton North East / 1987-92
Alice Mahon / Labour / Halifax / 1987-2005
Ray Michie / Liberal, SLDP (1988-89), Liberal Democrat / Argyll & Bute / 1987-2001
Marjorie (Mo) Mowlam / Labour / Redcar / 1987-2001
Emma Nicholson / Conservative, Liberal Democrat (1995-) / Devon West & Torridge / 1987-97
Joyce Quin / Labour / Gateshead East & Washington West / 1987-2005
Gillian Shepherd / Conservative / Norfolk South West / 1987-2005

Table 8: Former women MPs first elected in the 1990s

Name / Party / Constituency / Dates
Irene Adams / Labour / Paisley North / 1990-2005
Anne Campbell / Labour / Cambridge / 1992-2005
Judith Chaplin / Conservative / Newbury / 1992-93
Jean Corston / Labour / Bristol East / 1992-2005
Helen Jackson / Labour / Sheffield Hillsborough / 1992-2005
Angela Knight / Conservative / Erewash / 1992-97
Liz Lynne / Liberal Democrat / Rochdale / 1992-97
Olga Maitland / Conservative / Sutton & Cheam / 1992-97
Estelle Morris / Labour / Birmingham Yardley / 1992-2005
Barbara Roche / Labour / Hornsey & Wood Green / 1992-2005
Diana Maddock / Liberal Democrat / Christchurch / 1993-97
Rachel Squire / Labour / Dunfermline West / 1992-2005
Judith Church / Labour / Dagenham / 1994-2001
Helen Liddell / Labour / Monklands East, Airdrie & Shotts / 1994-2005
Roseanna Cunningham / SNP / Perth / 1995-2001
Candy Atherton / Labour / Falmouth & Camborne / 1997-2005
Jackie Ballard / Liberal Democrat / Taunton / 1997-2001
Christine Butler / Labour / Castle Point / 1997-2001
Helen Clark (née Brinton) / Labour / Peterborough / 1997-2005
Lynda Clark / Labour / Edinburgh Pentlands / 1997-2005

Valerie Davey

/ Labour / Bristol West / 1997-2005

Julia Drown

/ Labour / South Swindon / 1997-2005

Lorna Fitzsimons

/ Labour / Rochdale / 1997-2005
Eileen Gordon / Labour / Romford / 1997-2001
Jane Griffiths / Labour / Reading East / 1997-2005
Melanie Johnson / Labour / Welwyn Hatfield / 1997-2005
Fiona Jones / Labour / Newark / 1997-99, 1999-2001
Jenny Jones / Labour / Wolverhampton South West / 1997-2001
Oona King / Labour / Bethnal Green & Bow / 1997-2005
Tess Kingham / Labour / Gloucester / 1997-2001
Jackie Lawrence / Labour / Preseli Pembrokeshire / 1997-2005
Linda Perham / Labour / Ilford North / 1997-2005
Diana Organ / Labour / Forest of Dean / 1997-2005
Debra Shipley / Labour / Stourbridge / 1997-2005
Jenny Tonge / Liberal Democrat / Richmond Park / 1997-2005
Annabelle Ewing / SNP / Perth / 2001-2005
Sue Doughty / Liberal Democrat / Guildford / 2001-2005

Table 9: Former women MPs first elected in the 2000s

Name / Party / Constituency / Dates
Patsy Calton / Liberal Democrat / Cheadle / 2001-2005

Table 10: Parliamentary general election results by gender 1918 to 2005

Election / Women / Men / % Women
1918 / 1 / 706 / 0.14
1922 / 2 / 613 / 0.3
1923 / 8 / 607 / 1
1924 / 4 / 611 / 1
1929 / 14 / 601 / 2
1931 / 15 / 600 / 2
1935 / 9 / 606 / 1
1945 / 24 / 616 / 4
1950 / 21 / 604 / 3
1951 / 17 / 608 / 3
1955 / 24 / 606 / 4
1959 / 25 / 605 / 4
1964 / 29 / 601 / 5
1966 / 26 / 604 / 4
1970 / 26 / 604 / 4
Feb. 1974 / 23 / 607 / 4
Oct. 1974 / 27 / 603 / 4
1979 / 19 / 616 / 3
1983 / 23 / 627 / 4
1987 / 41 / 609 / 6
1992 / 60 / 591 / 9
1997 / 120 / 539 / 18
2001 / 118 / 541 / 18
2005 / 128 / 518 / 20

Table 11: House of Commons by-election results by gender

1918 to 2005

Parliament / Women / Men / % women
1918-22 / 2 / 106 / 2
1922-23 / 1 / 15 / 6
1923-24 / 0 / 10 / 0
1924-29 / 6 / 57 / 10
1929-31 / 2 / 34 / 6
1931-35 / 0 / 62 / 0
1935-45 / 6 / 213 / 3
1945-50 / 2 / 50 / 4
1950-51 / 0 / 16 / 0
1951-55 / 4 / 44 / 8
1955-59 / 4 / 48 / 8
1959-64 / 1 / 61 / 2
1964-66 / 0 / 13 / 0
1966-70 / 2 / 36 / 5
1970-74 / 2 / 28 / 7
Feb-Oct. 1974 / 0 / 1 / 0
1974-79 / 1 / 29 / 3
1979-83 / 4 / 16 / 20
1983-87 / 5 / 26 / 16
1987-92 / 3 / 21 / 13
1992-97 / 4 / 14 / 22
1997-2001 / 2 / 15 / 12
2001-2005 / 1 / 5 / 17

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