NEW WOMAN M.P.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23678, 9 December 1938, Page 11

NEW WOMAN M.P.

THE THIRTEENTH LABOUR'S "GLORIOUS DECISION" (From Our Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) , LONDON, Nov. 18. The by-election at Dartford, caused by the death of the late Mr F. E, Clarke, Conservative M.P., in July, resulted in the gain of the seat for> the Socialists. The successful candidate was Mrs Jennie L. Adamson, wife of Mr W. M. Adamson, Socialist M.P. for the Cannock Division of Staffordshire. She polled 46,514 votes against the 42,276 recorded in favour of Mr Godfrey Mitchell (Nat. Conservative). At the last election there was a Conservative majority of 2646. Dartford's new M.P. is. the thirteenth woman in the House of Commons. She was greeted with deafening cheers as she left the counting station. She was seized by her supporters and carried on their shoulders through the streets when her triumph became known at 3 a.m. In her speech of thanks, Mrs Adamson said: " The people of this constituency—one of the largest in the country—have shown by their votes that they reject the foreign policy of the Government and that they object to the betrayal of Czechoslovakia and democracy, and that they are determined to see to it that there shall be no economic cut at the expense of the poor of the community." PLAIN HINT TO THE PREMIER She thought that when she went to Westminster she would be able to show Mr Chamberlain that he had not got the people of this country behind him and that he must go. Mr Godfrey Mitchell, her defeated opponent, congratulated Mrs Adamson and declared: "I hope she will find very great happiness in the wider sphere of service to which she is going." One of her first messages of congratulation came from Mr Herbert Morrison. It said: "London Labour Party congratulates you warmly on a historic victory, and thanks the electors of Dartford for their glorious decision." This will be the fourth time in the history of the House of Commons that a husband and wife have sat together as M.P.'s, and they are the only married couDle in the House at present. The three previous cases were Lord and Lady Runciman (then Mr and Mrs Walter Runciman), Sir Oswald and the late Lady Cynthia Mosley, and Dr and Mrs Hugh Dalton. Mrs Adamson is the mother of four children, and a grandmother. The Socialist victory is their tenth gain from the Government parties in the 53 by-elections since the general election in 1935. Mrs Adamson was asked by a London newspaper interviewer: " Now that both you and your husband are M.P.'s, drawing combined parliamentary salaries out of £I2OO a year, how will you run your home? " The new M.P. turned on her questioner and answered fiercely: " Why don't you ask Lady Astor how she runs her home? Lady Astor has more children than I have; and they are younger than mine. No one holds stronger views than I do about mothers of young families who take on other jobs. When my family was at school I had many tempting offers to stand for strong Labour constituencies. But I refused them all. "Now that my two sons and two daughters are all married, with families of their own, it is another story. I pride myself that for 25 years I have been a good housewife and a good mother. "My interest in politics began, I suppose, in the days when I was bringing up the family on the workman's wages my husband earned in Manchester before he entered Parliament. Round the fireside we used to discuss party questions after the children had gone to bed, and I firmly believe that there is room for working-class women in Labour candidates' ranks. Indeed, there is need for them there., "I shall still cook the Sunday joint when we are at home together. Our home at Forest Hill will not suffer because I have a new sphere of usefulness."