Gwyneth Dunwoody

The Hon Gwyneth Patricia Dunwoody (born in Fulham, London on 12 December 1930, as Gwyneth Patricia Phillips), is the longest-serving woman Member of the United Kingdom Parliament, having been the Labour Party MP for Exeter between 1966 and 1970, then MP for Crewe from February 1974 to 1983 then following boundary changes, for the Crewe and Nantwich constituency since 1983. She was also a member of the European Parliament between 1975 and 1979, at a time when MEPs were nominated by national parliaments — MEPs have been directly elected since 1979. If she remains an MP until the expected end of the Parliament elected in 2005, she will become the oldest woman MP ever, and will exceed the 34 year record for continuous service for a woman MP, currently held by Barbara Castle, and the 38 year record for interrupted service by a woman MP, currently held by Dame Irene Ward.

Related Topics:
Fulham - London - 12 December - 1930 - United Kingdom Parliament - Labour Party - 1966 - 1970 - Crewe - 1974 - 1983 - Crewe and Nantwich - European Parliament - 1975 - 1979 - Barbara Castle - Irene Ward

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As a member for a constituency with a strong connection with the railway industry, she has considerable expertise on transport matters and has been Chair of the House of Commons' Transport Select Committee since 1997; in this role she has been a thorn in the flesh of the government, and an attempt by the Government Whips to remove her from the Chair of the TSC after the 2001 General Election led to a revolt by back-bench members of Parliament, which led to her reinstatement.

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She belongs to an experienced political dynasty: her father, Morgan Phillips, was General Secretary of the Labour Party; her mother, Nora Phillips was a life peer in the House of Lords; both her grandmothers were suffragettes; her husband, John Dunwoody, whom she later divorced, was also elected as a Labour MP in 1966; while their daughter, Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsey, is a member of the National Assembly for Wales and as of 2005 is Deputy Minister for Economic Development and Transport in the Welsh Assembly Government.

Related Topics:
Morgan Phillips - General Secretary of the Labour Party - Nora Phillips - House of Lords - Suffragettes - John Dunwoody - Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsey - National Assembly for Wales - Welsh Assembly Government

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