After a long struggle, women over 30 gained the vote in 1918, but little thought had been given to the prospect of women MPs. The first few women who managed to be elected were resourceful and brave. Nancy Astor is well known, but have you heard of Margaret Wintringham or the Duchess of Atholl? In 1929 only 14 women were elected out of a House of over 600 men, and it took until 1957 for Hornsey to get its first woman MP, Muriel Gammans, and 1959 for Finchley to elect Margaret Thatcher. This talk will bring to life some of these early pioneers who had to navigate a Commons not designed for them, considering which clothes to wear and which issues to focus on. Oonagh Gay retired from the House of Commons Library in 2015, having spent 32 years in the Palace of Westminster, researching for MPs on constitutional and other subjects. She retrained as an Islington and Camden tour guide and now offers walks on politics and women.
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