Barbara Ayrton-Gould

Barbara Bodichon Ayrton-Gould (June 1886 – 14 October 1950) was a Labour politician in the United Kingdom.

Background and family life

She was born in Kensington, London, the daughter of prominent electrical engineers and inventors Hertha Marks Ayrton and William Edward Ayrton. She married the writer Gerald Gould (1885–1936); the artist Michael Ayrton (1921–1975) was their son.

Political office

Having served as Chair of the Labour Party from 1939 to 1940, Gould was elected Member of Parliament for newly created Hendon North constituency in Labour's landslide victory of 1945. The forerunner constituency, Hendon had since 1935 grown considerably population (and to some extent number of homes) and was split in two; it had been solidly won by Conservative candidates since 1910, however the north division fell to Gould's campaign, a feat not to be repeated until 1997 by a Labour candidate.

Gould held the seat until losing the next general election (in 1950), when it was gained by Ian Orr-Ewing (Con). Gould died aged 64, eight months after leaving the House of Commons.

References

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Barbara Ayrton-Gould