Women in British Politics Quiz | Government

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Who became the first woman to be elected to the House of Commons in 1918?

Answer: Countess Constance Markiewicz

Countess Markiewicz was one of 73 Sinn Fein members elected to represent constituencies in Ireland, which was then under British Rule. Since taking up one's seat would mean pledging allegiance to the Crown, none of them did so. Instead, they formed the first Dail Eireann (Irish Parliament), and the Countess was made Minister for Labour(1919-22) becoming the first women cabinet minister anywhere in Europe.

Nancy Astor fought and won her husbands seat in a 1919 by-election after he was elevated to the House of Lords following the death of his father.

2. Who was the first women cabinet minister in the United Kingdom?

Answer: Margaret Bondfield

Bondfield was born in Chard, Somerset, the eleventh child of Anne Taylor and William Bondfield. Aged 14, she began an apprenticeship in a draper's shop in Brighton.

After many years working her way up Trade Union heirarchy, she was became President of the Trades Union Congress General Council.

She was elected Labour Member of Parliament for Northampton at her third attempt in 1923, but lost her seat in the general election of the following year. In 1926, she won a by-election in the Wallsend constituency and was appointed Minister of Labour by Ramsay MacDonald on 8 June 1929.

3. Which diminutive ex-communist led some 200 of her unemployed constituents to London on the Jarrow March in 1936?

Answer: Ellen Wilkinson

In 1921, Ellen Wilkinson attended the founding conference of the Red International of Labour Unions in Moscow. She left the Communist Party in early 1924.

At the time of the March, the unemployment rate in Jarrow was close to 80%.

4. In which year did women first enter the House of Lords?

Answer: 1958

There were no women members of the House of Lords until the passing of the 1958 Life Peerages Act, which allowed new members to be created without an hereditary title being bestowed upon them. Hereditary peeresses could only take up seats following an amendment to the Peerage Act in 1963.

5. Who is credited with ensuring that the Open University came into being by 1970, rather than remaining a pipedream?

Answer: Jennie Lee

Harold Wilson, the Prime Minister, was thinking about 'a new educational trust' that brought together many institutions and organisations to produce television and other educational material, rather than an independent and autonomous institution that granted its own degrees.

He appointed Jennie Lee as Minister for the Arts, and asked her to take over the University of the Air project. She worked tirelessly and assiduously in the face of criticism of the whole project.

The OU has since become recognised as a great academic institution.

6. Who became the first Secretary of State for International Development in 1964?

Answer: Barbara Castle

All 4 have at some time held the post. Later, Barbara Castle was made transport minister. She did not drive herself, but was responsible for the introduction of the breathalyzer and the first Government subsidies for socially necessary but unprofitable railways.

Although credited by many with bringing in the 70mph motorway speed limit, this particular road safety measure was piloted through Parliament by her predecessor at the Ministry of Transport.

7. Who became Leader of the Conservative Party in 1975?

Answer: Margaret Thatcher

In 1979, Mrs Thatcher became Prime Minister. The rest, as they say, is history.

Lynda Chalker, formerly head girl at Roedean, held ministerial posts throughout the 18 years of Conservative government, equalling the 20th century record for continuous government service.

8. Which of the following was a member of "The Gang of Four" seen at the unveiling of the Limehouse Declaration in 1981?

Answer: Shirley Williams

Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams announced their intention to leave the Labour Party and form the SDP.

Chiang Ching was a member of a much more murderous gang, brought to trial following the death of her husband in 1976. She was better known as Madame Mao. (4th Wife of tyrant Chairman Mao Zedong)

9. Who became the first woman Speaker of the House in 1992?

Answer: Betty Boothroyd

Betty Boothroyd is a former pantomime principal boy, Palladium Tiller Girl and the first woman Speaker of the House of Commons.

Since retiring, she has remained physically active, taking up paragliding while on holiday in Cyprus in her sixties.

10. Who became the first female Home Secretary in Gordon Brown's first cabinet reshuffle?

Answer: Jacqui Smith

Smith is the first female Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, and only the third woman to hold one of the Great Offices of State.

Margaret Beckett was Foreign secretary until the same reshuffle took place.

In 2001, Yvette Cooper became the first serving minister to take maternity leave, and have a baby.

Source: Author talbotbruno

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor TabbyTom before going online.
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Women in British Politics Trivia Quiz

For many centuries, Politics in the UK (as elsewhere) were dominated entirely by men. This quiz is about some of the women who have carved out Parliamentary careers since 1918.

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