WOMEN IN POLITICS

Evening Star, Issue 22631, 24 April 1937, Page 25

WOMEN IN POLITICS

SKETCHES Of ENGLISH M.P.S Some delightful sketches of English parliamentary women have appeared in ‘ The Queen,’ written by an M.P., who is stated te be “ the brilliant youn r ; member for East Fife, Mr Henderson Stewart.” He knows the ladies he writes about both in the House of Commons and out of it and is well qualified to be their brief biographer. H e begins by saying that he knows it is highly dangerous for a man to attempt a pen-picture of the women members of the House, and still more for a bachelor to do so. Yet, he finds the nine women members form a fascinating group in the present House, and maybe a man’s point of view may do them most justice—therefore he adventures’ into his task with a good heart and kind intention.

He groups them in four main ■lasses: Lady Astor “ quite unique Duchess of Atholl, Miss Horsbrugh, Miss Rathbone, Miss Willdnon as the “ elder stateswomen ” —though he regards them as practically ageless; Miss Lloyd George, Miss Cazalet, and 1

Miss Ward, as of the new generation; then Mrs Tate, “ also .unique.” “ Lady Astor,” states Mr Stewart, “ stands apart, poles removed from any other member, male or female. She alone can claim to represent that illusory thing, ‘ the women’s point of view.’ The , other women members are each in their way distinctive, but their contribution to the business of Parliament, whether in style or matter, is not essentially different from that of the male member. The House has a way of moulding its members to a broad, general pattern, and, excepting Lady Aster, the women members have not escaped its influence. But Lady Astor is different, even in the elementaries of procedure. ‘ ‘ Most of us, for instance, are somewhat awed by the ’dignity and form of the Chamber. Lady Astor cares nothing for either. She will denounce Government, House, or Speaker without compunction or pausing to draw breath; and rules of order, when she chooses to ignore them, might never exist. She is vivacious, witty, and original; often illogical and irrelevant; yet all the while humorous, friendly, and brave. I have seen her attack her own friends in a House howling derision, and gather fresh spirit from the encounter. And for all that (bad form as it usually is) I am her admirer. How good it is in this ‘ planing ’ age to see individualism triumph. T ‘ Like most of us Lady Astor has her special likes and aversions. She is the champion of children and the arch enemy of brewers. She would lavish the resources of the State on mothers and open-air nurseries, and cheerfully starve all those who grow hops or sugar beet. I hapepu to represent a beet-growing district, which draws the subsidy, and so have fallen under her lash.

“ She is the vocal gangster of Parliament, yet remains everybody’s pet, and is ‘ Nancy ’to all. The wildest Socialists are her pals in the lobby. Mr Kirkwood—to the rest of us in debate ‘ the Hon. member for Dumbarton,’ is plain ‘ Now, David ’ to her, and she is as likely to link her arm with Mr Gallacher as with tho Secretary for War.

“ But for Rady Astor I should deny that there is any such things as a ‘ woman’s point of view ’ in politics, for nothing is discernible in any of the other women members.”

(This is, of course, not a criticism of their womanliness, it appears from tho writer, but of the fact that their interest is. general and not specialised. They appear to be more concerned about general politics, this applying more to the “ elder stateswomen.”).