“The House of Commons Works of Art Collection documents significant moments in Parliamentary history. We are delighted to have added this unique photographic record of women MPs of today, to mark the 90th anniversary of women first being able to take their seats in this House” – Hugo Swire, Chairman, The Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art. “The day the Carlton Club accepted women” – 90 years after women first got the vote aim to ensure that a more enduring image of On May 21st 2008 over half of all women women's participation in the political process Members of Parliament in Westminster survives. gathered party by party to have group photographs taken to mark the anniversary of Each party gave its permission for the 90 years since women first got the vote (in photographs to be taken. For the Labour February 1918 women over 30 were first Party, Barbara Follett MP, the then Deputy granted the vote). Minister for Women and Equality, and Barbara Keeley MP, who was Chair of the Labour Party Women’s Committee and The four new composite Caroline Adams, who works for the photographs taken party by Parliamentary Labour Party helped ensure that all but 12 of the Labour women party aim to ensure that a attended. more enduring image of For the Conservative women's participation in the Party, The Shadow Leader of the House of political process survives Commons and Shadow Minister for Until now the most often used photographic Women, Theresa May image of women MPs had been the so called MP and the Chairman “Blair Babes” picture taken on 7th May 1997 of the Conservative shortly after 101 Labour women were elected Party, Caroline to Westminster as a result of positive action by Spelman MP, enlisted the Labour Party. That photo included all but the support of their two of the Labour women MPs on the steps of women MPs. All four of Church House, waving and looking up with the women MPs who the Prime Minister Tony Blair in the middle of are members of the the group. Shadow Cabinet arrived for the first Fiona Mactaggart MP said they looked like photo call and one Emily Thornberry MP and “pilot fish” around the PM. It was a defining other. Harriet Harman MP image of its time and disliked by many (but not all) of the women who took part. (Mo The youngest Member of Parliament, Jo Mowlam MP, took credit for first coining the Swinson MP, got fellow Liberal Democrats to phrase “Blair's Babes”) participate for her Party. The 1997 photograph was taken by Reuters While the photographs were being taken Boni photographer, Kieran Doherty, who had Sones read passages from her book co- climbed up the steps to get the women authored by Margaret Moran MP and looking up at him and waving. Professor Joni Lovenduski, “Women in Parliament the new Suffragettes”, while On May 21st 2008 Kieran Doherty was invited Seema Malhotra, of the Fabian Women's back to Westminster at the invitation of Boni Network, read from a poster entitled “Votes Sones, founder of Women's Parliamentary for Women, Never” circulated in 1918 by “The Radio, to take a new photograph of the National League for Opposing Women’s women MPs at Westminster. The four new Suffrage”. The poster begins: “Men of composite photographs taken party by party England, our interests and those of our 1 “The day the Carlton Club accepted women” – 90 years after women first got the vote families, and the welfare of the country are in surrounding the Olympics in Beijing. Kieran danger. Rally to prevent it.” took advantage of the spontaneous photo opportunity. The poster was lent by Liz St Clair, Women's Officer for the Conservative Party who did a Just a few minutes later the independent MP subsequent reading at the second photo call Clare Short was first to be photographed on on June 3rd. the steps by herself. She had resigned her position as a Labour MP over the war with Kieran Doherty assembled the women on the Iraq and is now an Independent Labour MP. steps at New Palace Yard, under Big Ben in the heart of the Westminster village where the Back in the Chamber of the House, the Prime women are well used to assembling to have Minister Gordon Brown and the Conservative their photographs taken. The back drop of Leader, David Cameron, were exchanging Big Ben with the new parliamentary building jibes in the weekly Prime Minister's Question of Portcullis House, designed by Michael Time over the by-election in Crewe and Hopkins and Partners and opened by Her Nantwich and Labour’s planned abolition of Majesty the Queen in February 2001, just over the 10p tax rate. the other side of Westminster Bridge, provides an atmospheric location. Meanwhile, the Labour women MPs began to quietly leave the Chamber to assemble for Photographic permits were sought and the photo call. It took considerable permissions obtained. Kieran was assisted by organisation to get all the Labour women to Pete Cook, an associate of Women’s attend, and there were over 60 for the first Parliamentary Radio. shoot. Others were in Crewe and Nantwich and had agreed to be there two weeks later at the photo call on June 3rd. The first photo call date May 21st 2008 came the night after the controversial vote on the 11 years into the Labour Government and less Human Embryology and Fertilisation Bill when than a year into Gordon Brown’s new lowering the legal time limit on abortions from premiership, Crewe and Nantwich was an 24 to 22 weeks had been discussed and important by-election. Labour lost by a defeated. A free vote had been allowed and margin of 17.6 percent. passions were running high. It was also the day before the Crewe and Nantwich by- The Leader of the Commons, Minister for election following the death of the longest Women and Labour Party Chair, Harriet serving woman MP, Gwyneth Dunwoody. Harman QC MP, who had been campaigning in the Crewe and Nantwich by- On the international stage, it was the day election, arrived ten minutes after the others after Hillary Clinton had won the Kentucky and was photographed with Emily Thornberry primary by a landslide margin in her hard MP who was also a fraction late. fought fight for the Democrat Party nomination to be the Presidential candidate For the first time in British political history all the against Barack Obama who was still in the three main parties had women as their Chair, lead. Chairman, or Chairwoman. All participated in the photo call, however like Harriet Harman Just as Kieran was about to start the photo QC MP they were all photographed separate call, the Dalai Lama bid his farewell to from their parties, either arriving early or late. Westminster after speaking in Parliament Hall about his position on Tibet and the protests 2 “The day the Carlton Club accepted women” – 90 years after women first got the vote Caroline Spelman MP arrived early, as she defeat to Barack Obama. By the end of the was on her way to chair a meeting, but week she did. Smith’s 42 day reform won a eagerly conveying the narrow victory in the Commons the following news that for the first time week. in its history the Conservative Carlton Club The June 3rd photo call had slightly misty had just voted to admit weather, but the skies brightened, much to women as full members. Kieran Doherty’s delight. All the remaining 4 She was quoted in the Liberal Democrat women arrived, as did 6 Times the next day saying more Conservative women, but like the she was “delighted” by the Labour women some were shot separately as change but she saw “no they rushed to and fro. In that rushing Kieran reason to join”, as she had Doherty took advantage of a lighter moment a house in London. in the schedule when Vera Baird QC MP, the Theresa May MP was the Solicitor General, arrived and as the tallest first woman Chairman of woman in Westminster met the shortest her party and has been woman, Sarah Teather MP, the Liberal influential in changing her Democrat’s Shadow Secretary of State for party’s all-male image as Business, Enterprise and Regulatory reform. co-founder of the They were photographed back to back on Caroline Spelman MP Women2Win campaign. the steps of new Palace Yard. Vera is 5ft 11 She was the first woman 1/2 inches tall and Sarah is 4ft 10 inches tall. Chairman of any major British political party. The Chair of the Liberal Democrat For the first time in British Parliamentary Party, Lorely Burt MP, arrived late for her group’s photo call having been political history all the talking about last night's vote on the Embryology Bill to BBC Radio. three main parties had women as their Chair, It's impressive to gather so many women across party together in this way and Chairman, or photograph them so quickly. The handful of women MPs who are independent members Chairwoman. of parliament had also been invited to In the event the team came back the next attend. None of the groups tried to create day for an unscheduled shoot to meet Jacqui hierarchy when they posed for the cameras. Smith MP and three other labour MPs after PMQs on Wednesday June 4th for a third and The second photo call on June 3rd was also final photo call as Jacqui Smith MP wanted to successful.