Last week I marked my 40th anniversary as MP for Camberwell and Peckham and there hasn’t been a single day when I haven’t felt it was a huge privilege and never faltered in my belief in the fundamental importance of Parliament as the very anchor of our democracy, especially so in this time of government chaos and instability.
As the Government lurches from crisis to crisis, wreaking terrible havoc on our economy and people’s living standards, Parliament speaking up for the realities that people face is crucial.
The first phase of my time in Parliament from 1982 to 1997 was 15 years long years of Labour being in the wilderness of opposition. And I spent those years being completely dedicated to getting Labour into government. Which we did. And we need to again. I’m very encouraged by what Keir Starmer and his team are doing and optimistic as I see them growing in confidence and authority and looking like a government in waiting, the government we wish we already had. Though we can’t be complacent.
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I came into Parliament as part of that generation of women who looked at society, the subordination of women, who couldn’t accept it and resolved to change it. And we did.
We changed parliament going from only 3% in 1982 to 35% now.
We changed not just the face of Parliament but the political agenda.
Women’s representation spread to the Tory benches too.
And women forced their way into all the places that were previously men-only zones, into the media, into the law.
But for all the progress there’s still far to go.
Women are still outnumbered 2:1 by men in Parliament.
In every sector, men still earn more!
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Childcare is still a nightmare and male violence against women remains at terrible levels.
Because there’s still a long way to go I look to the new generation of women to lead this agenda forward and I will be cheering them on!
But there are new allies at hand with the arrival in Parliament of “new man”. Men who I call the sons of the Women’s Movement, who were brought up by feminist mothers of my generation to support women’s equality.
One person who was at my side for every day of these past years was Jack. His phenomenal political qualities and confidence in me propelled me into Parliament and sustained me. He’s so missed.
I owe a great deal to the 40 years’ worth of young men and women who’ve worked in my parliamentary and constituency office. They’ve helped literally thousands of my constituents. Last month alone my small team took action on no fewer than 715 cases.
Some people still living in Camberwell and Peckham were Labour party members 40 years ago and selected me to be their MP. I’m always grateful to them. But many weren’t even born when I was first an MP. There’s a new cadre of young people in public service. Southwark councillors seem to get younger every day.
I’m standing down at the next election but there is an outstanding list of men and women from whom my successor will be chosen. So I’m totally confident that whoever it is will blaze a trail and have my 100% backing!
I’ll continue to work hard for my constituents and for Parliament every day till the next election which for the sake of the country we need as soon as possible but may well not be till 2024.
But in the meantime I reflect that it’s been such an incredible thing to be an MP, in government, end up as Mother of the House, to be part of the great movement which is Labour and to play my part in the feminist tide which has fundamentally changed this country for the better.