2007 marks the centenary of Women’s entitlement to stand anywhere as local councillors. In 1907 the “Qualification of Women” Act clarified women (ratepayers) were able to be elected to Borough and County Councils. This landmark enabling Act came about partly because of the lobbying of an influential group of women, networking as the ‘Women’s Local Government Society’. It followed years of uncertainty and confusion, which included challenges in the courts when women first tried to stand for the LCC, women losing their influence on education matters when free-standing boards were absorbed into councils, and losing their places on Urban District Councils when towns grew and sought borough status. Although women had been able to be elected to various ad-hoc boards since the 1870’s, and could be members on the new urban and rural district councils from 1894, 1907 gave them the right to stand anywhere, and to become mayors. It was landmark enabling legislation that ought to be celebrated.
The Act came about primarily because of the persistent lobbying of the Women’s Local Government Society. The Society was founded by Miss Annie Leigh Browne, and developed as a network of women, many of whom were also involved in other Liberal and suffragist organisations. It started active life in London, but became a strong campaigning force, lobbying MP’s, but also giving practical support to women who chose to seek election to local government, and seeking out possible candidates. The organisation existed in various forms from the late 1880’s until around the time of the First World War.
To celebrate the centenary of the 1907 legislation, the Women’s Local Government Society has been revived. A steering group was formed on 19th October 2006, and the group held its first AGM as part of a discussion day on 10th March 2007. Individual and associate membership is available, with men and organisations being able to join the latter category.
The constitution accepted by the WLGS at its first AGM in March 2007 and amended at its second AGM in February 2008 sets out the following aims :
The women intend spearheading a web - based project, initially gathering together more details about women councillors throughout history, but ultimately becoming a more open tool for women to contribute experiences and ideas about local leadership.
The women welcome opportunities to publish other written material, and to assist organisations in carrying out local research about women councillors. They will produce practical guides and examples as well as compiling information on the web-site from current written sources. They intend promoting achievements as well as raising issues about women councillors present and future.
Opportunities for celebrations, local exhibitions and sharing stories of local women councillors in the last 100 years will co-incide with events in 1907, including
In 1907, the Women's Local Government Society wrote to the then Prime Minister, to lobby on behalf of Women wishing to stand for election as Councillors.
On 1st February 2007, the newly-revived Women's Local Government Society have once again written, to the Right Hon Tony Blair, MP, with a copy to the Times.
Reviving the Women's Local Government Society
The Right Hon Tony Blair, MP
10 Downing Street,
London,
SW1A 2AA
Dear Prime Minister,
100 Years ago today the Women’s Local Government Society wrote to the Prime Minister with a copy letter to the Times. They were lobbying for the right of women to stand as local councillors. We have decided to repeat that exercise today because we believe their aims, valuing elected women councillors, are as relevant to the future as they were to the past. We celebrate the persistence and success of those early lobbyists, and the remarkable achievements of women councillors since, many of whom have campaigned tirelessly for their local communities. Many of those signing this letter today are representative of the local leadership of women in the years since 1907. We have come a long way, but we know there is still a long way to go. The number of women councillors in the UK remains around 27%. Around 70 councils have 20% or fewer women.
In 1907 the Women’s Local Government Society claimed the legal right to local representation. In 2007 we are reviving the Women’s Local Government Society to claim the moral right to local representation on equal terms. For women to participate fully and achieve the success our predecessors envisaged, we feel requires not just national support, recognition, and action, but a different style of politics; One that is not only less confrontational, bullying and blaming, but one which is built on listening locally. We support change and think that change works better when it is built up from local ideas. We recognise the need to reform institutions, built around joined up local solutions not the whim of the national expert. We applaud innovation, and we know from experience the best people to experiment are those closest to the communities needing support. We believe the future needs local accountability, councils with real powers handed back to them, and more councillors like those women who promoted health, welfare and education that could respond to local need.
Throughout this centenary we will be gathering the stories of those women who have made a real impact on the lives of local people through their hard work. We hope those women who support our work will join us at our discussion day in Sheffield on March 10th (details from wlgs2007@googlemail.com) where we are the guests of Cllr Mrs Jackie Drayton, Lord Mayor of Sheffield. We hope too, that as national politicians debate the shape of the future, they learn from the local success of the past, and join us in celebrating the determined nature of the Edwardian Women’s Local Government Society.
Yours faithfully,
Anne Baldwin, Secretary
Jessica Crowe, Chair
Women's Local Government Society steering group (and the accompanying list of supporting signatories)
Anne Baldwin, Secretary, Women’s Local Government Society Steering group
Jessica Crowe, Chair, Women’s Local Government Society Steering group
Cllr Samantha Lloyd, Treasurer, Women’s Local Government Society Steering group
Baroness Patricia Hollis, First Woman leader, Norwich City Council
Theresa Stewart, Former leader, Birmingham City council
Dame Jane Roberts, Former leader, Camden council
Cllr Ann John, Former leader, Brent council
Valerie Davey, Avon County Councillor (1981-1996)
Dorothy Thornhill, Elected Mayor of Watford
Cllr Heidi Alexander, Deputy Mayor, LB Lewisham
Cllr Ruth Cadbury, LB Hounslow, and relative of Mrs George Cadbury, WLGS 1907.
Cllr Bryony Rudkin, Suffolk County Council
Cllr Irene Macdonald, Norfolk County Council
Cllr Marie Pye, LB Waltham Forest and founder member WLGS
Ann Reeder, Founder member WLGS
Cllr Jackie Drayton, Lord Mayor of Sheffield
Cllr Felicity Hartley, Lord Mayor of Norwich
Cllr Suzanne Fletcher MBE, Mayor of Stockton-on-Tees
Cllr Margaret Eaton OBE, Bradford MBC and LGA Vice-Chair
Cllr Cathy Bakewell, MBE, Leader Somerset County Council
Mrs Doris Ansari, OBE, Chairman of Cornwall County Council
Cllr Jan Wilson, Leader, Sheffield City Council
Cllr Lesley Clarke, Leader Wycombe District Council
Cllr Hazel Harding, Leader, Lancashire County Council
Cllr Brenda Ferris, Deputy Leader, Norwich City council
Cllr Dr Pauleen Lane CBE, Trafford MBC
Cllr Lynne Smith, Bradford MBC
Alison Seabeck MP, Chair, All Party Parliamentary Group, Local Government
Helen Jackson, Trustee, Fawcett Society
Dr Katherine Rake, Director, Fawcett Society