We know that having more women MPs brings real benefits to Parliament – the way it functions, the issues it discusses and the resulting legislation that gets passed with its beneficial impacts on the whole of society. Women are more likely to base their arguments on lived experience; be more focused on issues and policies, and are less adversarial. Indeed, research shows that legislatures that are more inclusive even reduce public disengagement overall.
In fact, women have been working together and collaborating for as long as they have been in parliament. In 1924, the first Liberal MP, Margaret Wintringham, alongside Conservative Nancy Astor, the first woman MP to take her seat in parliament in 1919, introduced the equal guardianship bill giving a woman the same rights to custody of her children as her husband.
That collaboration between women MPs continues today. Back in 2018, Labour MP, Dame Diana Johnson, told BuzzFeed News that: “I think because we recognise that we have interests in common, and while we might very well be Tory or Labour or Lib Dem, there are some fundamental things we want to achieve, and cross-party working can be effective.” Since then she has worked tirelessly across the House on issues of importance to women. Last weekend she teamed up with Caroline Nokes, the Conservative MP leading the Women and Equalities Committee, to write to the Prime Minister on abortion rights. Other signatories included Caroline Lucas MP, the former leader of the Green Party, Liz Saville-Roberts MP, the Commons leader of Plaid Cymru, and Christine Jardine MP, the Liberal Democrat equalities spokeswoman.
We asked Wendy Chamberlain, Liberal Democrat MP, what working cross-party with other women MPs meant to her and she told us: “So much of this role is about building relationships, and I actually think it’s something women excel at. Both of my legislative achievements as a back bench MP have come from making those connections – the passing of my Carer’s Leave Private Members Bill and the cross-party amendment to the Member Code of Conduct that now prevents any member voting in relation to their own suspension following the breaking of that convention by Owen Paterson in 2021. My relationships with other women (and being part of the Parliamentary Women’s Football Team!) have been integral to getting so much done.”
Conservative MP, Dame Caroline Dinenage is campaigning to put a Childhood Cancer Mission at the heart of the Government’s Cancer Strategy after she was contacted by a constituent raising the issue. She sprang into action and, as well as her intense lobbying of Ministers, she instigated a debate on Childhood Cancer Outcomes in the House of Commons. Importantly, the debate delivered interventions from women MPs in other parties including Taiwo Owatemi MP (Labour) and Kirsten Oswald MP (SNP) showing the cross-party backing for her call and giving it extra strength.
Sarah Champion MP (Labour ) has been working with Dame Maria Miller MP (Conservative) on sex education. She said: ‘I’m incredibly proud of the cross-party work I have done with Maria on Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE), particularly on our joint amendment to the Children and Social Work Act 2017 which made the teaching of age appropriate RSHE compulsory in schools. Protecting children and teaching them about healthy relationships is essential to their wellbeing and goes far beyond the divides of party politics.’
Carolyn Harris MP (Labour) is the Chair of the All-Party Group on menopause and is championing a private members bill to exempt HRT medication from prescription charges. Working closely with Nickie Aiken MP (Conservative) they have turned up the noise around the menopause issue ensuring the topic is no longer a taboo subject. Their joint efforts have had real impact, for example ensuring the introduction of the HRT prescription certificate giving users a much welcome discount on their overall medical charges.
These are all women MPs who are at the top of their game and who are making sure strong female voices are being heard in the corridors of power. Their collaborative approach is delivering real and tangible change and many people’s lives are better as a result. They are also role models for the next generation of female leaders, inspiring other women to put themselves forward. In fact, their success acts as a great antidote to political polarisation and the combative image of politicians often seen at Prime Minister’s Questions. As a female MP interviewed in Fawcett’s A House for Everyone report said: “I always had very good relations with everybody on both sides of the House and managed to achieve things. And really that is how most of parliamentary life works….”.