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Gwyneth Patricia Dunwoody (née Phillips) (12 December 1930 – 17 April 2008)^[1] was the longest ever serving female Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom both by length of total and length of continuous service. Not a left winger by the traditional standards of the Labour movement, she had a reputation as a fiercely independent parliamentarian. Image File history File links Gnome_globe_current_event. ... The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable ( or formerly The Honble) is a title of quality attached to the names of certain classes of persons. ... Crewe and Nantwich is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Crewe was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1945. ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... (Sydney) Scholefield Allen KC (3 January 1898 – 26 March 1974) was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. ... Exeter is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sir Rolf Dudley Dudley-Williams, 1st Baronet (originally (Rolf) Dudley Williams, 17 June 1908 – 8 October 1987) was a British aeronautical engineer and politician. ... Sir John Gordon Hannam (born 2 August 1929) is a British Conservative politician. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fulham is a suburban area of west London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, located 3. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Right Honourable Dr. John Elliot Orr Dunwoody CBE (June 3rd 1929 —January 27th 2006) was a British Labour politician. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Speaker of the House of Lords Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist...

Early life

Dunwoody was born in Fulham, London and attended the Fulham County Secondary School for Girls, now known as Fulham Cross School, and the Convent of Notre Dame. She joined the Labour Party in 1946. Gwyneth married her husband in 1954, the same year he qualified as a doctor. He had got to know her father, Morgan Phillips, General Secretary of the Labour Party, and met Morgan's family at home. From 1963-6, she was a councillor on Totnes Borough Council (now South Hams). From 1970-5, she was Director of the Film Producers Association of Great Britain and Consultant to the Association of Independent Cinemas. She and her husband divorced in 1975, soon after her re-election (now as the MP for Crewe), when her husband had returned to being a doctor. She was a member of ASLEF. Fulham is a suburban area of west London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, located 3. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Morgan Walter Phillips (18 June 1902-15 January 1963) was General Secretary of the British Labour Party, leading the party to two election victories. ... , Totnes (IPA: ) is a market town in South Devon, England. ... South Hams is a local government district on the south coast of Devon, England. ...

Parliamentary career

Dunwoody stood as the Labour Party candidate for the Exeter seat in the 1964 general election; and in 1966 became the Member of Parliament for Exeter. She remained Exeter's MP until 1970. She then became MP for Crewe in February 1974 The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... The city of Exeter is the county town of Devon, in the southwest of England, also known as the West Country. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1964 result was a very slim majority for the Labour Party, of 4, and led to their first government since 1951. ... The UK general election in 1966 was called by Harold Wilson because his government, elected in the 1964 election, had an unworkably small majority. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on June 18, 1970, and resulted in a surprise loss of power for Labour under Harold Wilson, who was replaced as Prime Minister by the Conservative leader, Edward Heath. ... Crewe was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1945. ... The UK general election of February 1974 was held on February 28, 1974. ...

Dunwoody 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. A Member of the European Parliament (English abbreviation MEP)[1] is a member of the European Unions directly-elected legislative body, the European Parliament. ...

In 1983, Dunwoody stood for election as deputy leader of the Labour Party, alongside Peter Shore, on a Eurosceptic platform (a position she consistently maintained throughout her career). The position was won by Roy Hattersley, and Dunwoody came last out of the four candidates with 1.3% of the Electoral College. Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley, PC (born December 28, 1932) is a British Labour Party politician, published author and journalist from Sheffield, England. ... This article is about Electoral Colleges in general. ...

In 1983, boundary changes abolished the constituency of Crewe and created the constituency of Crewe and Nantwich, where she remained MP until her death in 2008. The UK general election, 1983 was held on June 9, 1983 and gave the Conservatives and Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945. ... Crewe and Nantwich is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

In 1998 she gained headlines around the world when she clashed with New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani urging the return of the original Winnie the Pooh dolls from Donnell Library Center to the British Museum after she said she "detected sadness" in their display behind bulletproof glass in the United States library. New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Rudolph William Louis Rudy Giuliani III, KBE (born May 28, 1944) served as the Mayor of New York City from January 1, 1994 through December 31, 2001. ... Pooh redirects here. ... Entrance to library Winnie the Pooh and friends in the Childrens Reading Room The Donnell Library Center is a branch of the New York City Library at 20 West 53rd Street just north of Rockefeller Center. ... London museum | name = British Museum | image = British Museum from NE 2. ... Strictly, Bulletproof glass would be glass that is capable of stopping all manner of bullets fired at it. ...

In October 2000, she was one of several candidates for the speakership of the House of Commons. The election was won by Michael Martin MP. Type Lower House Speaker Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Leader Harriet Harman, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader Theresa May, (Conservative) since May 5, 2005 Members 659 Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin... Michael Martin can refer to: Michael Martin (Agent), owner and chief agent of the MM Agency - MTV Real World booking agency Michael Martin (politician), the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom Michael Martin (philosopher), professor emeritus of philosophy at Boston University Michael Martin (musician), American musician...

As a member for a constituency with a strong connection with the railway industry, she had considerable expertise on transport matters and was Chair of the House of Commons' Transport Committee from 1997 to 2008. In this role she was a credible, independent-minded critic of the government, and an attempt by the Government Whips to remove her from the Committee after the 2001 general election led to a revolt by back-bench members of Parliament, which resulted in her reinstatement. The Transport Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Tony Blair William Hague Charles Kennedy The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ...

She was President of Labour Friends of Israel. Labour Friends of Israel is a UK Parliament based campaign group promoting support within the British Labour Party for a strong bilateral relationship between Britain and Israel. ...

Personal life

She belonged to an experienced political dynasty: her father, Morgan Phillips, was General Secretary of the Labour Party between 1944 and 1962; her mother, Norah Phillips was a life peer in the House of Lords and Lord Lieutenant of Greater London (1978-86); both her grandmothers were suffragettes; her late husband, John Dunwoody was a Labour MP from 1966 until 1970; while their daughter, Tamsin Dunwoody, was a member of the National Assembly for Wales for one term between 2003 and 2007 and from 2005 was Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks in the Welsh Assembly Government. She also had two sons. Morgan Walter Phillips (18 June 1902-15 January 1963) was General Secretary of the British Labour Party, leading the party to two election victories. ... The General Secretary is the most senior employee of the British Labour Party. ... Norah Mary Phillips, Baroness Phillips, JP (August 12, 1910—14 August 1992) was a British Labour politician. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... . ... Suffragette with banner, Washington DC, 1918 The title of suffragette was given to members of the womens suffrage movement in the United Kingdom and United States, particularly in the years prior to World War I. The name was the Womens Social and Political Union (founded in 1903). ... The Right Honourable Dr. John Elliot Orr Dunwoody CBE (June 3rd 1929 —January 27th 2006) was a British Labour politician. ... Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsey (b. ... Established 1999 by the Government of Wales Act 1998 Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas AM (Plaid) Since May 12, 1999 Deputy Presiding Officer Rosemary Butler AM (Lab) Leader of the House Carwyn Jones AM (Lab) Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly Claire Clancy Political parties 6 Welsh Labour (26... Official logo of the Welsh Assembly Government The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) (Welsh: , LlCC) was firstly an executive body of the National Assembly for Wales, consisting of the First Minister and his Cabinet from 1999 to 2007. ...

Death

On 17 April 2008 Mrs Dunwoody died peacefully following surgery for a heart condition.^[1] is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

"I think so many people will be so sad at the death of Gwyneth Dunwoody. She was almost 40 years a Member of Parliament. She was always her own person. She was always fiercely independent. She was politics at its best - a great parliamentarian, a great expert on transport. And I think she will be sadly missed in all parts of the House of Commons.

And, for her constituents in Crewe, she was a dedicated, committed Member of Parliament, who would do everything for them. And I will personally miss Gwyneth for the independent views she brought to me - and for her expertise in so many different areas, as well as her sheer commitment to the Labour party and to the cause of social justice."

- Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister

"She was a woman who stood up and said what she believed was true and defended those who did not have many people to defend them. And she stood up for her principles, she was a wonderful woman."

- David Dunwoody, Son

"She was an independent-minded woman who always spoke her mind and will be badly missed. She was a very remarkable woman and a very powerful Member of Parliament. She was very strong on certain questions. She took a very independent stance on the European Union and was respected by the House. She was listened to with great attention from the House itself."

- Tony Benn, former Labour MP

"I was incredibly sad to hear the news. She was an extraordinary MP, a real battler, someone who was never prepared to just take the establishment view. When I made my maiden speech in the House of Commons it was just after a speech by Gwyneth Dunwoody and she was very friendly to people on all sides of the House of Commons - Labour, Conservative and Liberal. She'll be really missed. She was a great campaigner for public transport and railways. And she was an extraordinary member of Parliament and I think everyone will have very strong memories of her and our thoughts are with her families and her constituents today."

- David Cameron, Conservative party leader

"Gwyneth Dunwoody was a fiercely principled and incredibly effective Parliamentarian. Her recent contributions in the area of transport were outstanding and her knowledge unquestioned. She was a great speaker and debater and the House of Commons will be a poorer place without her. She will be missed on all sides of the House."

- Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat party leader

Records

In late September 2007, Gwyneth Dunwoody beat Irene Ward's record of the longest total service for a woman MP, at 37 years, 9 months. For other uses, see September (disambiguation). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Irene Mary Bewick Ward, Baroness Ward of North Tyneside CH DBE (23 February 1895–26 April 1980) was a British Conservative politician. ...

In early December 2007, she beat Barbara Castle's record of the longest unbroken service for a woman MP, at 33 years, 9 months. Look up December in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Barbara Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn PC (October 6, 1910 – May 3, 2002) was a British left-wing politician, born Barbara Anne Betts in Chesterfield, Derbyshire (and brought up in Pontefract and Bradford, Yorkshire), who adopted her familys politics, joining the Labour Party. ...

References

is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Gwyneth Dunwoody official site
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Gwyneth Dunwoody MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Gwyneth Dunwoody MP
• BBC Politics page
• PDF on Leadership Elections including Labour Deputy Leadership results
• Kindly rebel and Labour stalwart (BBC obituary)

• Obituaries:
  • The Times, 18 April 2008
  • The Daily Telegraph, 18 April 2008
  • The Guardian, 18 April 2008
  • The Independent, 18 April 2008