Women peers gather for picture in Lords Chamber to mark 60th anniversary of the Life Peerages Act
Monday 30 April 2018, marks 60 years since the Life Peerages Act 1958 received Royal Assent which allowed women to sit in the House of Lords for the first time. Over 100 current women peers have commemorated the occasion with a group picture in the Lords Chamber to acknowledge the vital contribution women have made over the last 60 years.
Women members from all parties took to the red benches, which until 1958, were filled almost exclusively with male hereditary peers. The Act allowed women and men to be created peers for life and have seats in the House of Lords. It opened the House to the whole of society, with members being appointed to contribute to our parliamentary democracy based on their knowledge and experience, regardless of gender or background.
The House of Lords today also released a short film with members including Baroness Grey-Thompson, Baroness Bertin and Lord Bird who discuss the impact the Life Peerages Act has had and the crucial role members play in scrutinising legislation and debating public policy.
Speaking on the anniversary, Lord Speaker, Lord Fowler, said:
“The Life Peerages Act 1958 radically changed the House of Lords, enabling women and men from all walks of life to become members. Today, peers use their expertise to inform debates on legislation and matters of public policy and enrich the work of committees, from knowledge gained in careers including teaching, scientific research and the armed forces.
“Since 1958, the contribution of women peers has been immeasurable. The first two Lord Speakers were women, both the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition in the House are women and very soon the first ever woman Bishop of London will join our number. This 60 year milestone recognises the importance of womens' voices in Parliament and the invaluable contribution they continue to make.”
Baroness Maddock, Member of the Vote 100 Advisory Board and who took part in the photo said:
“Before 1958 there were several attempts to admit women to the House of Lords which were unsuccessful. It took a further 40 years after the Representation of the People Act passed in 1918, which gave some women and all men the right to vote, until women were eventually able to take their seats in the House of Lords.
“In only 60 years, the number of women peers has increased significantly and their impact has been instrumental in shaping laws for the benefit of society.”
The celebration of the Life Peerages Act is part of UK Parliament's Vote 100 project which is a year-long programme of events celebrating a century of women's voices in Parliament, the journey towards universal suffrage and the first women MPs. Throughout 2018, Vote 100 will celebrate these milestones, and the contribution of women to politics in the UK, with a series of events, exhibitions and educational programmes.
The Life Peerages Act will be displayed this summer at “Voice and Vote: Women's Place in Parliament”, a major free public exhibition held in Westminster Hall, the oldest part of Parliament, which will open on 27 June 2018. It will tell the story of women and parliament through immersive and interactive technologies to help recreate lost historic spaces that were used by women in the Palace of Westminster. It will include key historic objects from Parliamentary collections and significant loans from around the UK.
Click on the link for images from the Parliamentary Archives, including a picture of the original act.
