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Waldorf Astor on the Women's Emancipation Bill

Following lobbying by campaigning women, the House of Commons passed the Labour Party's Women's Emancipation Bill on 4 July 1919. As well as allowing women entry to professions, the Women's Emancipation Bill would have given the Parliamentary franchise to 5 million women who had been excluded from the vote in 1918 by age and property qualifications. Two days later, Waldorf Astor (husband of Nancy Astor, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health) wrote to Conservative leader Andrew Bonar Law, urging the Cabinet to take action on votes for women. He wrote 'I hope the government will accept the verdict of the Commons on the principle of equalising the political rights of women.' This did not happen, and the 5 million had to wait until the Equal Franchise Act 1928.
Title

Waldorf Astor on the Women's Emancipation Bil

Date

6 July 1919

Catalogue number

Parliamentary Archives, BL/97/5/8

Transcript

'I hope the government will accept the verdict of the Commons on the principle of equalising the political rights of women and if necessary undertake to bring in their own bill to do this in the near future. Most of us (ministers as well as the rank and file of the Coalition) gave undertakings to this effect during the election. Any number of your ministerial colleagues protested to me last Friday about the very difficult position they were being put into vis a vis of their constituents and pledges. It would be most unwise for the Cabinet to alienate the five million voters concerned. It seems essential in view of the way the Labour Bill was mishandled and in view of the expression of opinion give in the Commons that the Cabinet should now take the matter up. I may say that I was not at all surprised at our defeat and know how much capital can and will be made if we don't now accept the verdict of Parliament. Waldorf Astor'