VISCOUNTESS RHONDDA, WOMEN & THE HOUSE OF LORDS

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1 Houses of Parliament VISCOUNTESS RHONDDA, WOMEN & THE HOUSE OF LORDS Achieving equality for women in the House of Lords

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3 WOMEN CAN BE SEEN IN THE GALLERY OF THE CHAMBER, LISTENING TO THE DEBATE THE HOME RULE DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS by L. C. Dickinson and M. B. Foster, oil on canvas, 1893 Parliamentary Art Collection WOA 2945

4 BEYOND THE GILDED CHAMBER Before 1958, women could not sit in the House of Lords. Even though some women were hereditary peers in their own right, they were excluded from taking their seat on account of their gender. Many Lords were strongly opposed to allowing women to sit in the House of Lords or indeed in becoming involved in politics at all. If we allow women into this House where will this emancipation end? [ ] I find that a horrifying thought. (Earl Ferrers, HoL Debates, 1957) In the same year that some women gained the right to vote, the Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918 allowed women to become Members of Parliament for the first time. WOMEN WERE ALLOWED TO SIT IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS CHAMBER DURING STATE OPENING STATE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT, 1857 By Joseph Nash, bodycolour on paper, 1857 Parliamentary Art Collection WOA 2941

5 THE LADY RHONDDA CASE Margaret Haig Thomas fought to take her seat in the House of Lords when her father, D.A. Thomas died and she inherited the title Viscountess Rhondda by special remainder. Lady Rhondda was a member of the Women s Social and Political Union and in 1913 as part of their direct action campaign she set fire to a post box in Newport and was imprisoned. She established the feminist journal Time and Tide in 1920, a pressure group called the Six Point Group in 1921, and she took over her father s business empire on his death. Lady Rhondda petitioned the House of Lords Committee for Privileges in Her claim was based on the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 which stated that: A woman shall not be disqualified by sex or marriage from the exercise of any public function. The Committee initially agreed that this legislation allowed for Lady Rhondda to take her seat in the House of Lords. However, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Birkenhead, intervened, bringing the case before the Committee once more who proceeded to find against her. MARGARET HAIG THOMAS, VISCOUNTESS RHONDDA ( ) by Alice Mary Burton, oil on canvas, 1931 Parliamentary Art Collection WOA 7177

6 THE CONTINUING CAMPAIGN FOR EQUALITY Lady Rhondda was unsuccessful in her bid but the campaign did not end. Several private members bills were introduced into the House by Viscount Astor, but none achieved Royal Assent. In my opinion the point of view of women is necessary and it is desirable that we should have it. (Viscount Astor, HoL Debates, 1924) On 16 July 1930 a division on a motion to admit hereditary women peers in their own right into the House failed with 49 votes in favour to 55 against. This concluded the campaign until after the Second World War when interest renewed. One petition obtained 50,000 signatures but was never presented to Parliament. In 1949, the House of Lords acknowledged that it was willing to give hereditary women peers the same rights, duties and privileges as are now enjoyed by male peers. This motion passed 45 votes to 27, but legislation did not follow for 19 years. PRIVATE MEMBERS BILLS INTRODUCED BY VISCOUNT ASTOR Parliamentary Archives HL/PO/JO/10/10/788, 819, 846, 871, 928

7 REFORM AND THE LIFE PEERAGES ACT The argument that women should sit in the House of Lords became tied up with, and often subsumed by, the issue of reform. By the 1950s it was clear that the hereditary House of Lords was ineffective. There were calls to overhaul its structure and introduce elected Members. The Life Peerages Act 1958 was introduced to resolve the problem of poor attendance and an imbalance of peers across parties. Despite the persistent protest of a final few opposing peers, the Life Peerages Act allowed women to be appointed to the Upper House for the first time. Probably this is the first occasion in 900 PRIVATE MEMBERS BILLS INTRODUCED BY VISCOUNT ASTOR years that the voice of a woman has been heard in the deliberations of this House. Parliamentary Archives HL/PO/JO/10/10/788, (Baroness Elliot 819, of 846, Harwood s 871, 928 maiden speech, 4 Nov 1958) The first four women peers created in 1958: Baroness Elliot of Harwood (Dame Katharine Elliot) Baroness Ravensdale of Kedleston (Mary Irene Curzon) Baroness Wootton of Abinger (Barbara Frances Wootton) Baroness Swanborough (Dame Stella Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading) CREATION OF LIFE PEERS Illustrated London News, 2 August 1958 Mary Evans Picture Library

8 PEERAGE ACT 1963 Full equality was finally achieved in the House of Lords in 1963 with the passing of the Peerage Act, which meant that hereditary women peers in their own right could take their seat in the chamber. As with the Life Peerages Act, women were not the primary reason for the passing of the Act. When the government took action to respond to MP Tony Benn s campaign to disclaim his hereditary peerage, the joint committee also agreed the admission of women peers. The first five female hereditary peers in their own right who took their seats in 1963: Baroness Strange of Knokin (Dowager Viscountess St Davids) Baronness Audley (Rosina MacNamee) Baroness Beaumont (Mona Fitzalan Howard) Countess of Erroll (Diana Hay) Lady Kinloss (Beatrice Freeman Grenville) Lady Rhondda had lived to see the 1958 Life Peerages Act pass, but died before the Peerage Act received Royal Assent, and so was never able to take her seat in the House of Lords. PEERAGE ACT, 1963 Parliamentary Archives HL/PO/ PU/1/1963/c48

9 MILITANT WOMEN PEERS Turning the Tides of Tradition When women began to sit in the House of Lords, it soon became clear that changes needed to be made to accommodate these new peers. For example, should the new members be referred to as women peers or peeresses? Barbara Wootton, the first female peer, asked to be distinguished more clearly from the wives of peers, known as peeresses. This debate continued and in 1970 a letter from the Clerk of Parliaments on the subject refers to the claim of the militant women peers. Other practicalities included creating more toilet facilities for the increasing number of women in the House of Lords. A new tricorn hat with a gold rosette was designed especially for women peers, resembling those worn by female naval officers. Women peers have contributed to the business of the House of Lords in a wide variety of ways since In 2017 women make up just over a quarter of the House of Lords, with 210 women out of a total 802 peers. BARONESS HAYMAN WAS APPOINTED THE FIRST LORD SPEAKER IN 2006 BARONESS HAYMAN, LORD SPEAKER By Sergei Pavlenko, oil on canvas, 2008 Parliamentary Art Collection WOA 6806

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11 FIVE OF THE SEVEN WOMEN PEERS SITTING IN 1961/2 ARE INCLUDED IN THIS VIEW OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS SITTING HOUSE OF PEERS By Alfred Reginald Thompson, oil on canvas 1963, Parliamentary Art Collection WOA 1704

12 The Speaker s Art Fund For more on Parliament and women: For more on the history of women and the House of Lords: Display Curator: Emily Bourne, Parliamentary Archives Display Designer: Mark Fisher, House of Commons Design Team Display: Vote 100 Exhibition Team Vote 100 is Parliament s project to celebrate key Parliamentary anniversaries in 2018, including the Representation of the People Act 1918 and the Life Peerages Act Cover image: Margaret Haig Thomas, Viscountess Rhondda ( ) By Alice Mary Burton, oil on canvas, 1931 Parliamentary Art Collection WOA 7177.