The 1997 general election saw more women elected to the House of Commons than ever - 120 - and exactly double the 60 elected at the 1992 general election. 101 of these women MPs were Labour Party politicians. There were also 13 Conservatives, three Liberal Democrats, and three from other parties (including Betty Boothroyd, who by convention was elected unopposed in 1997 as sitting Speaker of the House of Commons, without party affiliation, although she was previously a Labour politician).
Expectations were high that the substantial increase in female representation in the House of Commons would lead to changes in the style and conduct of legislative business. However, many of the new female MPs grew disillusioned with the lifestyle of an MP, and nine "Blair Babes" either chose not to stand or lost their seats in the 2001 general election. Despite two female MPs winning by-elections between 1997 and 2001, and other women being elected, the total number of female MPs fell to 118 at the 2001 general election. A further 22 "Blair Babes" stood down or lost their seats at the 2005 general election, although the number of female MPs increased again to a new record of 127.
# |
Name |
Constituency |
Elected |
Lost seat/Stood down |
Notes |
1. |
Diane Abbott |
Hackney North and Stoke Newington |
1987 |
|
First black woman MP. |
2. |
Irene Adams |
Paisley North |
1990 |
2005 |
Replaced husband Allen Adams as MP after his death. Stood down and seat abolished. Life peer (2005). |
3. |
Janet Anderson |
Rossendale and Darwen |
1992 |
|
Government whip (1997-8), Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (1998-2001). Partner of MP Jim Dowd (politician). |
4. |
Hilary Armstrong |
North West Durham |
1987 |
|
Minister for Local Government (1997-2001), Government Chief Whip (2001-6), Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (2006-). |
5. |
Candy Atherton |
Falmouth and Camborne |
1997 |
2005 |
Lost seat to Liberal Democrat Julia Goldsworthy. |
6. |
Charlotte Atkins |
Staffordshire Moorlands |
1997 |
|
PPS in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2001-2004), Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport (2004-5). |
7. |
Margaret Beckett |
Derby South |
1983 |
|
Previously MP for Lincoln (1974–9). President of the Board of Trade (1997–8), Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council (1998–2001), Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2001–6), Foreign Secretary (2006–) |
8. |
Anne Begg |
Aberdeen South |
1997 |
|
Uses a wheelchair due to Gaucher's disease. |
9. |
Liz Blackman |
Erewash |
1997 |
|
PPS to Geoff Hoon (2000-2006). Assistant government whip (2006-). |
10. |
Hazel Blears |
Salford |
1997 |
|
PPS to Alan Milburn (1997-8), then to Andrew Smith (1998-9). Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health (2001-3), Minister of State at the Home Office (2003-6). Minister without portfolio and Labour party chair (2006-). |
11. |
Helen Brinton |
Peterborough |
1997 |
2005 |
Avoided deselection in 2003. Lost seat to Conservative Stewart Jackson. |
12. |
Karen Buck |
Regent's Park and Kensington North |
1997 |
|
Declined position as whip after it was announced in 2001. Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport (2005-). |
13. |
Christine Butler |
Castle Point |
1997 |
2001 |
Lost seat to Conservative Bob Spink. |
14. |
Anne Campbell |
Cambridge |
1997 |
2005 |
PPS to Patricia Hewitt (-2003). Lost seat to Liberal Democrat David Howarth. |
15. |
Judith Church |
Dagenham |
1994 |
2001 |
Stood down and replaced by Jon Cruddas. |
16. |
Lynda Clark |
Edinburgh Pentlands |
1997 |
|
Advocate General for Scotland (1999-2006). Stood down and seat abolished. Life peer (2005). Lord of Session (2006-). |
17. |
Ann Clwyd |
Cynon Valley |
1984 |
|
Vice Chair (2001-5) and Chair (May 2005-December 2006) of the Parliamentary Labour Party. |
18. |
Ann Coffey |
Stockport |
1992 |
|
PPS to Tony Blair (1997-8) then to Alistair Darling (1998-). |
19. |
Yvette Cooper |
Pontefract and Castleford |
1997 |
|
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health (1999-2003) and then the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (2003-5). Minister of State at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and its successor the Department of Communities and Local Government (2005-). Married to MP Ed Balls. First serving minister to take maternity leave. |
20. |
Jean Corston |
Bristol East |
1992 |
2005 |
PPS at the Department for Education and Skills (1997-2001). First woman to chair the Parliamentary Labour Party (2001-5). Stood down and replaced by Kerry McCarthy. Life peer (2005). |
21. |
Ann Cryer |
Keighley |
1997 |
|
Elected alongside her son, John Cryer, MP for Hornchurch; he lost his seat in 2005. |
22. |
Claire Curtis-Thomas |
Crosby |
1997 |
|
|
23. |
Valerie Davey |
Bristol West |
1997 |
2005 |
Lost seat to Liberal Democrat Stephen Williams. |
24. |
Janet Dean |
Burton |
1997 |
|
|
25. |
Julia Drown |
South Swindon |
1997 |
2005 |
Stood down and replaced by Anne Snelgrove. |
26. |
Gwyneth Dunwoody |
Crewe/Crewe and Nantwich |
1974 |
2008 |
Previously MP for Exeter (1966–70). Died in office. |
27. |
Angela Eagle |
Wallasey |
1992 |
|
Twin sister of MP Maria Eagle. First sitting MP to come out as openly lesbian (1997). Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1997-1998), then Department of Social Security (1998-2001), then junior minister at the Home Office (2001-2002). |
28. |
Maria Eagle |
Liverpool Garston |
1997 |
|
Twin sister of MP Angela Eagle. PPS to John Hutton (1999-2001), Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions (2001-5), first Minister for Children (2005-6), Minister of State in the Northern Ireland Office (2006-) |
29. |
Louise Ellman |
Liverpool Riverside |
1997 |
|
|
30. |
Lorna Fitzsimons |
Rochdale |
1997 |
2005 |
Lost seat to Liberal Democrat Paul Rowen. |
31. |
Caroline Flint |
Don Valley |
1997 |
|
PPS to Peter Hain (1999-2002) and John Reid (2002-3). Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office (2003-5) then the Department of Health (2005-6). Minister of State in the Department for Health (2006-). |
32. |
Barbara Follett |
Stevenage |
1997 |
|
PPS to Tessa Jowell and Ruth Kelly. Married to novelist Ken Follett. |
33. |
Maria Fyfe |
Glasgow Maryhill |
1987 |
2001 |
Stood down and replaced by Ann McKechin. |
34. |
Linda Gilroy |
Plymouth Sutton |
1997 |
|
PPS to Nick Raynsford (2001-5). |
35. |
Llin Golding |
Newcastle-under-Lyme |
1986 |
2001 |
Daughter of MP Ness Edwards. Replaced husband John Golding as MP after his resignation. Stood down and replaced by Paul Farrelly. Life peer (2001). |
36. |
Eileen Gordon |
Romford |
1997 |
2001 |
Lost seat to Conservative Andrew Rosindell. |
37. |
Jane Griffiths |
Reading East |
1997 |
2005 |
Deselected in 2004 in favour of Tony Page. Seat lost seat to Conservative Rob Wilson . Bankrupt in 2005. |
38 |
Harriet Harman |
Camberwell and Peckham |
1992 |
|
Secretary of State for Social Security (1997-8). First woman Solicitor General (2001-2005). Minister of State at the Department of Constitutional Affairs (2005-). Married to Labour Party Treasurer Jack Dromey. |
39. |
Sylvia Heal |
Halesowen and Rowley Regis |
1997 |
|
Previously MP for Mid Staffordshire (1990-2). PPS to George Robertson (1997-9) and then Geoff Hoon (1999-2000). Deputy Speaker (2000-). Sister of MP Ann Keen. |
40. |
Patricia Hewitt |
Leicester West |
1997 |
|
Economic Secretary to the Treasury (1998–9), Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry (1999-2001), Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (2001–5), Secretary of State for Health (2005-). |
41. |
Margaret Hodge |
Barking |
1994 |
|
Minister (1998), Minister in the Department for Education and Skills (2001-3), Minister for Children (2003-6), Minister of State in the Department of Trade and Industry (2006-). Married to High Court judge Sir Henry Hodge. |
42. |
Kate Hoey |
Vauxhall |
1989 |
|
PPS to Frank Field (1997-8), Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office (1998-9), Minister for Sport in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (1999-2001). Chairman of the Countryside Alliance (2005-) |
43. |
Beverley Hughes |
Stretford and Urmston |
1997 |
|
PPS to Hilary Armstrong (1998-9). Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1999-2001), then the Home Office (2001-2). Minister of State at the Home Office (2002-4). Resigned. Minister of State at the Department for Education and Skills (2005-). |
44. |
Joan Humble |
Blackpool North and Fleetwood |
1997 |
|
|
45. |
Glenda Jackson |
Hampstead and Highgate |
1992 |
|
Minister in the Department for Transport (1997-9). Resigned to seek Labour nomination as Mayor of London. |
46. |
Helen Jackson |
Sheffield Hillsborough |
1992 |
2005 |
PPS in the Northern Ireland Office (-2005). Stood down and replaced by Angela Smith. |
47. |
Melanie Johnson |
Welwyn Hatfield |
1997 |
2005 |
Economic Secretary to the Treasury (1999–2001), then minister in the Department of Trade and Industry and then the Department for Health. Lost seat to Conservative Grant Shapps. |
48. |
Fiona Jones |
Newark |
1997 |
2001 |
Conviction for election fraud overturned on appeal in 1999. Lost seat to Conservative Patrick Mercer. Died in January 2007. |
49. |
Helen Jones |
Warrington North |
1997 |
|
|
50. |
Jenny Jones |
Wolverhampton South West |
1997 |
2001 |
Stood down and replaced by Rob Marris. |
51. |
Lynne Jones |
Birmingham Selly Oak |
1992 |
|
|
52. |
Tessa Jowell |
Dulwich and West Norwood |
1992 |
|
Minister at the Department of Health (1997-9) and then Department for Education and Employment (1999-2001). Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (2001–), Minister for the Olympics (2005–). |
53. |
Sally Keeble |
Northampton North |
1997 |
|
Minister in the Department for Transport, Local Government and Regions then the Department for International Development (-2003). |
54. |
Ann Keen |
Brentford and Isleworth |
1997 |
|
PPS to Gordon Brown (2001-). Married to MP Alan Keen; sister of MP Sylvia Heal. |
55. |
Ruth Kelly |
Bolton West |
1997 |
|
PPS to Nick Brown (1998-2001), Economic Secretary to the Treasury (2001–2), Financial Secretary to the Treasury (2002—4), Minister for the Cabinet Office (2004), Secretary of State for Education and Skills (2004—6), Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Minister for Women and Equality (2006-7), Secretary of State for Transport (2007-). Member of Opus Dei. Four children while in office. |
56. |
Jane Kennedy |
Liverpool Broadgreen/Liverpool, Wavertree |
1992 |
|
Government whip (1997-9), Minister in the Lord Chancellor's Department (1999-2001); Minister of State in the Northern Ireland Office (2001-4) then the Department of Work and Pensions (2004-5) then the Department of Health (2005-6). Resigned 2006. |
57. |
Oona King |
Bethnal Green and Bow |
1997 |
2005 |
Second black woman MP, after Diane Abbott. Lost seat to George Galloway (Respect). |
58. |
Tess Kingham |
Gloucester |
1997 |
2001 |
Stood down and replaced by Parmjit Dhanda. |
59. |
Jackie Lawrence |
Preseli Pembrokeshire |
1997 |
2005 |
PPS to Jacqui Smith. Stood down and seat lost to Conservative Stephen Crabb. |
60. |
Helen Liddell |
Monklands East/Airdrie and Shotts |
1994 |
2005 |
Economic Secretary to the Treasury (1997–8), Minister in the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Secretary of State for Scotland (2001-3). British High Commissioner in Australia (2005-). |
61. |
Fiona Mactaggart |
Slough |
1997 |
|
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office (2003-6). |
62. |
Alice Mahon |
Halifax |
1987 |
2005 |
Stood down and replaced by Linda Riordan. |
63. |
Judy Mallaber |
Amber Valley |
1997 |
|
|
64. |
Christine McCafferty |
Calder Valley |
1997 |
|
|
65. |
Siobhain McDonagh |
Mitcham and Morden |
1997 |
|
PPS to John Reid. |
66. |
Anne McGuire |
Stirling |
1997 |
|
Parliamentary Under-secretary of State at the Department of Work and Pensions. |
67. |
Shona McIsaac |
Cleethorpes |
1997 |
|
PPS in the Northern Ireland Office, Home Office and Department of Trade and Industry. PPS to Caroline Flint. |
68. |
Rosemary McKenna |
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth/Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East |
1997 |
|
|
69. |
Gillian Merron |
Lincoln |
1997 |
|
Government whip (2002-6). Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at Department of Transport (2006-). |
70. |
Laura Moffatt |
Crawley |
1997 |
|
PPS to Lord Irvine, then Lord Falconer, and then Alan Johnson. Majority of just 37 in 2005. |
71. |
Margaret Moran |
Luton South |
1997 |
|
PPS to Mo Mowlam (-2001). Government whip (2001-5). |
72. |
Julie Morgan |
Cardiff North |
1997 |
|
Married to Rhodri Morgan, MP for Cardiff West (1987-2001), Assembly Member for Cardiff West (1999-) and First Minister of Wales (2000-) |
73. |
Estelle Morris |
Birmingham Yardley |
1992 |
2005 |
Minister in the Department for Education and Employment (1997-2001). Secretary of State for Education and Skills (2001-2). Resigned. Minister of State for the Arts (2003–5). Life peer (2005). President of the National Children's Bureau (2005-). |
74. |
Kali Mountford |
Colne Valley |
1997 |
|
Suspended from the House of Commons for five days in 1988 for leaking a Select Committee report. PPS to Des Browne. |
75. |
Mo Mowlam |
Redcar |
1987 |
2001 |
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1997–9), Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1999–2001). Stood down and replaced by Vera Baird. Died in August 2005. |
76. |
Diana Organ |
Forest of Dean |
1997 |
2005 |
Stood down and seat lost to Conservative Mark Harper. |
77. |
Sandra Osborne |
Ayr/Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock |
1997 |
|
PPS to Brian Wilson, then George Foulkes, then Helen Liddell (2002-3). Resigned. |
78. |
Linda Perham |
Ilford North |
1997 |
2005 |
Lost seat to Conservative Lee Scott. |
79. |
Bridget Prentice |
Lewisham East |
1992 |
|
Whip (1997). PPS to Brian Wilson and then Lord Irvine. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Constitutional Affairs (2005-). Formerly married to MP Gordon Prentice. |
80. |
Dawn Primarolo |
Bristol South |
1987 |
|
Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1997–9), Paymaster General (1999–) |
81. |
Joyce Quin |
Gateshead East/Gateshead East and Washington West |
1987 |
2005 |
Junior minister at the Home Office, Minister of State for Europe (1998-9), agriculture minister (-2001). Stood down in 2005 and replaced by Sharon Hodgson. Life peer (2006). |
82. |
Barbara Roche |
Hornsey and Wood Green |
1992 |
2005 |
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Trade and Industry (1997-8), Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1999), Minister of State at the Home Office (1999-2001) then the Cabinet Office (2001-2) then the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (2002-3). Lost seat to Liberal Democrat Lynne Featherstone. |
83. |
Joan Ruddock |
Lewisham Deptford |
1987 |
|
Minister for Women (1997-8). Partner of MP Frank Doran. |
84. |
Christine Russell |
City of Chester |
1997 |
|
PPS to Beverley Hughes. |
85. |
Joan Ryan |
Enfield North |
1997 |
|
PPS to Andrew Smith. Whip. Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office (2006-) |
86. |
Debra Shipley |
Stourbridge |
1997 |
2005 |
Stood down and replaced by Lynda Waltho. |
87. |
Clare Short |
Birmingham Ladywood |
1983 |
|
Married to Alex Lyon (MP from 1966-83) until his death in 1993. Secretary of State for International Development (1997-2003). Resigned from office. Resigned the Labour whip in 2006. |
88. |
Angela Smith |
Basildon |
1997 |
|
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Northern Ireland Office (2002-6) and then at the Department for Communities and Local Government (2006-). |
89. |
Geraldine Smith |
Morecambe and Lunesdale |
1997 |
|
|
90. |
Jacqui Smith |
Redditch |
1997 |
|
Deputy Minister for Women and Equality (2003-2005), Minister of State in the Department for Education and Skills (2005-6), Government Chief Whip (2006-) |
91. |
Helen Southworth |
Warrington South |
1997 |
|
|
92. |
Rachel Squire |
Dunfermline West |
1992 |
2006 |
PPS to Stephen Byers and Estelle Morris (1997-2001). Died in January 2006 and seat lost to Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie. |
93. |
Phyllis Starkey |
Milton Keynes |
1997 |
|
|
94. |
Gisela Stuart |
Birmingham Edgbaston |
1997 |
|
Minister in the Department for Health (-2001). |
95. |
Ann Taylor |
Dewsbury |
1987 |
2005 |
Previously MP for Bolton West (1974-83), and government whip (1977-9). Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council (1997-8), Government Chief Whip (1998-2001). Stood down and replaced by Shahid Malik. Life peer (2005). |
96. |
Dari Taylor |
Stockton South |
1997 |
|
Daughter of Dan Jones, former MP for Burnley. Former PPS to Hazel Blears. |
97. |
Joan Walley |
Stoke-on-Trent North |
1987 |
|
|
98. |
Claire Ward |
Watford |
1997 |
|
Elected aged 24, only 50 days younger than Baby of the House Christopher Leslie. PPS to John Hutton (2001-5). Assistant government whip (2005-6) and whip (2006-) |
99. |
Betty Williams |
Conwy |
1997 |
|
|
100. |
Rosie Winterton |
Doncaster Central |
1997 |
|
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Lord Chancellor's Department (2001-3), Minister of State at the Department for Health (2003-) |
101. |
Audrey Wise |
Preston |
1987 |
2000 |
Previously MP for Coventry South West (1974–9). Died in office in September 2000 and replaced by Mark Hendrick. |