100 years since women won the right to be MPs: The female politicians who will go down in history

by Katie Haseldine | 21 November 2018

Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher served as Prime Minister for the United Kingdom between 1979 and 1990. She was the first woman to hold that office. She was often a controversial figure, however her role in British politics will mean her name won’t be forgotten any time soon.

Theresa May will always be remembered as the Prime Minister to lead us through Brexit

Theresa May

The U.K’s current Prime Minister, Theresa May, is undoubtedly a female politician who will go down in history. Love her or hate her - she will certainly be remembered for a long time. Before she became PM, she served as Home Secretary for 6 years. Now, she is leading the U.K out of the European Union, aiming for a bright future for an independent Britain.

Jo Cox

Jo Cox served as the MP for Batley and Spen for just over a year, before she was brutally murdered in an act of terrorism. She is remembered for her humanitarianism, and was a campaigner on issues relating to the Syrian Civil War. She founded and chaired the all-party parliamentary group, Friends of Syria.

Diane Abbott

British Labour Party politician, Diane Abbott, was elected as MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington in 1987, becoming the first black woman to hold a seat in the House of Commons. She is now Shadow Home Secretary, since being appointed in October 2016.

Anne Widdecombe

An MP for Maidstone between 1987 and 1997, and for Maidstone and The Weald between 1997 and 2010, Anne Widdecombe was known for some controversial views. Such as, opposing the legality of abortion, her opposition to various LGBT rights and her support for the re-introduction of the death penalty.

Mo Mowlam

Marjorie Mowlam was an English Labour Party politician, serving as MP for Redcar from 1987 to 2001. She also served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Her time as Northern Ireland Secretary saw the signing of the Good Friday Peace Agreement in 1998, something which nobody will be forgetting any time soon.

Tessa Jowell

Baroness Tessa Jowell was a British Labour politician who was MP for Dulwich and West Norwood from 1997 to 2015. She also held many major government ministerial positions, such as, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and sport between 2001 and 2007. She was nominated for life peerage in 2015 and was raised to the peerage as Baroness Jowell, of Brixton in the London Borough of Lambeth.

In May this year, Tessa sadly passed away after a battle with cancer.

Margaret Beckett

Dame Margaret Beckett goes down in history for being Britain’s first female Foreign Secretary, and the longest-serving female MP in the House of Commons. She is a British Labour Party politician who has been the MP for Derby South since 1983. She was also the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party between 1992 and 1994, and briefly served as the leader of the party.

Nancy Astor

Viscountess Astor was the first female MP, serving in parliament as a member of the Conservative Party for Plymouth Sutton. In 1945 she was persuaded to step down from her role. Nancy Astor will be remembered as the first female MP in U.K politics.

Glenda Jackson

Glenda Jackson is an actress, who became a Labour MP in 1992 for Hampstead and the Highgate. She also served as a Junior Transport minister for two years in 1997. In 2010 she represented Hampstead and Kilburn, before standing down as an MP in 2015.

Betty Boothroyd

Betty Boothroyd is a British politician who served as MP for West Bromwich and West Bromwich West between 1973 and 2000. Betty was the first and only female Speaker of the House of Commons.