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Female MPs on #Vote100 - 'Women speaking up for Women', 2018-02-06

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/SOBA 1/8

Scope and Contents

Female MPs speak about their speeches and debates (6 February 2018), Sones hears from Dame Caroline Spelman MP, Theresa May MP, Vicky Ford MP and Helen Whately MP. Introduced by Dame Spelman live from the event. Theresa May introduces the evening before Vicky Ford speaks from central lobby about social media and using it for good causes and the importance of the Year of Engineering for women. Sones and Ford walk toward a glass display case in Central Lobby which has four acts of Parliament: allowing women to become MPs (1918); giving women the vote; the Life Peerages Act, giving women the right to sit in the House of Lords; amendments to the bill that brought together in the Representation of the People Act that gave women the right to vote (1918). Ford talks about Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May and being the first female MP in the Conservative Party east of the M11. Theresa May discusses women and working class men gaining the vote during her speech at the #Vote100 event, the unveiling of a statue of Millicent Fawcett in Parliament Square and one of Pankhurst in Manchester. Sones then talks to Helen Whately MP about speaking in the chamber about #Vote100 and thinking about what the suffragettes did 100 years ago and being sure not to take it for granted. Whately focuses on health and social care and establishing a funding settlement, as women do the bulk of caring across the UK. Whately goes onto discuss how women often do the lower paid jobs in society and especially in social care, and discusses how women do not reach the heights of men in many industries. Sones asks about the abuse of women and Whately talks about women being more nervous in a public facing role. Sones moves to College Green to talk to Angela Eagle MP at the Labour women's photo call. Eagle discusses how important the #Vote100 anniversary is and the Labour Party's focus on equality, Eagle talks about making sure stronger employment laws are enforced, such as tighter controls over the sacking of pregnant women. Sones asks about 'all women shortlists' and Eagle argues the importance of having official mechanisms. Sones moves on to talk to Seema Malhotra MP whilst looking at the acts in the Central Lobby which focus on women gaining the right to vote on the same terms as men, and talks about the impact of social media and the violence of the suffragettes. Sones interviews Fiona Onasanya MP in Central Lobby, who makes the point that there was a lot left to do after 1918, and it is the same now. Onasanya is looking to create a University for Women, a stronger focus on housing in Peterborough and social care. Onsanya talks about being a new MP and not suffering any abuse so far. Sones finally met with Sharon Hodgson MP on Free School Meals and her experience after the birth of her stillborn daughter, Lucy, who she was not allowed to register. Regarding Free School Meals, she was concerned about the income threshold for being allowed school lunches. Regarding registering stillborn children, Hodgson is working to change the law to enable earlier registrations.

Dates

  • Creation: 2018-02-06

Creator

Extent

1 item(s) : 39 minutes 26 seconds (Audio)

Language of Materials

English

External Documents

Finding aid date

2020-03-25 11:32:42+00:00

Repository Details

Part of the Churchill Archives Centre Repository

Contact:
Churchill Archives Centre
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