The 1918 Representation of the People Act gave women aged 30 and over and who had property qualifications, the right to vote. The enfranchisement of women also allowed them to stand for election and this started as soon as was possible – in the 1918 general election. The number of women elected to the House of Commons between 1918 and 1979 was never proportionate to their number in British society and indicated to many that British politics was very much a male dominated entity.
1918: C = 0 L = 0 Lab = 0
1922: C = 1 L = 0 Lab = 0
1923: C = 3 L = 2 Lab = 3
1924: C = 3 L = 0 Lab = 1
1929: C = 3 L = 1 Lab = 9
1931: C = 13 L = 1 Lab = 0
1935: C = 6 L = 1 Lab = 1
1945: C = 1 L = 1 Lab = 21
1950: C = 6 L = 1 Lab = 14
1951: C = 6 L = 0 Lab = 14
1959: C = 12 L = 0 Lab = 13
1964: C = 11 L = 0 Lab = 18
1966: C = 7 L = 0 Lab = 19
1970: C = 15 L = 0 Lab = 10
1974: C = 9 L = 0 Lab = 13
1974: C = 7 L = 0 Lab = 18
1979: C = 8 L = 0 Lab = 11
C = Conservative Party
L = Liberal Party
Lab = Labour Party
1918: Countess Markievicz was elected for Dublin, St. Patrick’s but did not take her seat.