Women in the Room: Labour's Forgotten History

In February 1900, a group of men representing trade unionists, socialists, Fabians, and Marxists gathered in London to establish an organization capable of getting working-class men elected to Parliament. Among them was Isabella Ford, an active socialist and trade unionist who had been involved with the suffrage movement for a long time. Women were present in the room, but they were not always recorded or remembered. This book tells their story and highlights their contributions to Labour's earliest years and their impact on the Partys ability to attract and maintain womens votes after World War I.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 30 September 2018
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

In February 1900, a gathering of diverse individuals, including trade unionists, socialists, Fabians, and Marxists, convened in London with the aim of establishing an organization capable of securing the election of working-class men to Parliament. This initiative led to the formation of the Labour Representation Committee, which, six years later, after the successful election of 29 of its candidates to the House of Commons, underwent a name change to the Labour Party. Notably, women were absent from the initial meeting, although several observed from the public gallery. Among these spectators was Isabella Ford, an active socialist and trade unionist who would have been familiar to most of the men assembled below. She had been invited to attend by her friend Millicent Fawcett, the President of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, with the request that she report back on the proceedings. Millicent, a prominent figure in the suffrage movement, had long been acquainted with Isabella's involvement. A few years later, Isabella would achieve a significant milestone by becoming the first woman to deliver a speech at a Labour Party conference. In this address, she moved a resolution advocating for votes for women, a cause that she had been passionately advocating for. However, at the time of Labour's inception in 1900, Isabella, along with every other woman present in the hall, remained silent. Throughout the history of Labour, even in its early years, women played a significant role, although their contributions may not always have been recorded or remembered. These women hailed from diverse backgrounds and engaged in a wide range of activities, including organizing, campaigning, negotiating, debating, public speaking, and leadership. They took on the vested interests of their time, often challenging established norms and achieving victories. Nevertheless, the vast majority of these women have been overlooked by the Labour movement that they helped to establish. Even figures such as Margaret Bondfield, who became Britain's first woman cabinet minister, often receive minimal recognition. It is important to acknowledge that women made substantial and real contributions to Labour's early years, shaping its direction and ideology. Their efforts and achievements should be recognized and celebrated as an integral part of Labour's history.

Weight: 566g
Dimension: 228 x 173 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781788312233