Gwyneth Dunwoody
Encyclopedia
Gwyneth Patricia Dunwoody (née Phillips; 12 December 1930 – 17 April 2008) was a British Labour Party
politician, who was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Exeter
from 1966
to 1970
, and then for Crewe
(later Crewe and Nantwich
) from 1974
to her death in 2008. She remains the longest ever serving female Member
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
, by both length of total and length of continuous service. She had a reputation as a fiercely independent parliamentarian, described as "intelligent, obstinate, opinionated and hard-working".
, London, where her father was Labour parliamentary agent. She belonged to an experienced political dynasty: her father, Morgan Phillips
, was a former coalminer who served as General Secretary of the Labour Party
between 1944 and 1962; her mother, Norah Phillips was a former member of London County Council
who became a life peer
in 1964, serving as a government whip in the House of Lords
, and as Lord Lieutenant of Greater London
from 1978 to 1986. Both of her grandmothers were suffragettes, and all four grandparents were Labour party loyalists.
She attended the Fulham County Secondary School for Girls, now known as the Fulham Cross School and the Notre Dame Convent. She left school aged 16, and became a journalist with a local newspaper in Fulham, covering births, marriages and deaths. She joined the Labour Party in 1947, and spoke at the 1948 Labour party conference in Scarborough. She worked as an actress in repertory
and as a journalist in the Netherlands, learning fluent Dutch
, before suffering a bout of tuberculosis
.
in 1954, the same year he qualified as a doctor. Her husband became a general practitioner
based in Totnes
in Devon
. They had two sons and a daughter. Their daughter, Tamsin Dunwoody, was a member of the National Assembly for Wales
for one term between 2003 and 2007 and from 2005 was Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks in the Welsh Assembly Government
.
Her husband stood as Labour candidate in the safe Conservative
seat of Tiverton
in 1959, and came close to winning Plymouth Sutton in 1964, losing by just 410 votes (David Owen
would later hold for several years for Labour).
Meanwhile, Dunwoody was a councillor on Totnes
Borough Council (now South Hams
) from 1963-6. Her husband was finally elected as Labour MP for Falmouth and Camborne in 1966
(she was elected at the same time in Exeter). He served as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department of Health and Social Security
from 1969 until 1970. A well-regarded orator at the Labour Party Conference, John Dunwoody was spoken of as a future leader of the Party but lost his seat in the 1970 general election
and did not return to Parliament. They were divorced in 1975.
candidate for the Exeter
seat in the 1964 general election
. She was elected as Member of Parliament
for Exeter in 1966
, emulating her husband in nearby Falmouth and Camborne. Like her husband, she also served as a junior minister, as a Parliamentary Secretary
at the Board of Trade
, and also lost her seat at the 1970 general election
.
From 1970 to 1975, she was Director of the Film Producers Association of Great Britain and Consultant to the Association of Independent Cinemas.
She returned to the House of Commons after the February 1974 general election
, becoming MP for the safe Labour seat
of Crewe
, having received the sponsorship of the National Union of Railwaymen
(later part of RMT
). Dunwoody was also a Member of the European Parliament
between 1975 and 1979 (alongside John Prescott
) at a time when MEPs were nominated by national parliaments — MEPs have been directly elected since 1979.
In 1983, Dunwoody stood for election as deputy leader of the Labour Party, alongside Peter Shore
, on a Eurosceptic
platform (a position she consistently maintained throughout her career - she voted against the Maastricht Treaty
seven times). The position was won by Roy Hattersley
, and Dunwoody came last out of the four candidates with 1.3% of the Electoral College
.
She did not return to ministerial office, but served as a front bench spokesman on, by turns, transport, health, and foreign affairs during the 18 years of Labour opposition from 1979 to 1997. She also served on the Labour National Executive Committee
for seven years, from 1981 to 1988, collaborating closely with Betty Boothroyd
. She opposed all-women shortlists
, and resisted Militant
.
In 1983
, boundary changes abolished the constituency of Crewe and created the constituency of Crewe and Nantwich
, with many Conservative voters from Nantwich
included in the new seat. She narrowly won the election in 1983 by 290 votes. She remained MP at Crewe and Nantwich until her death in 2008, having benefited from a further redrawing of the boundaries in 1997 which increased her majority substantially.
In 1998, she gained headlines around the world when she clashed with New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani urging the return of the original Winnie the Pooh dolls from Donnell Library Center
to the British Museum
after she said she "detected sadness" in their display behind bulletproof glass
in the United States library.
In October 2000, she was one of several candidates for the speakership of the House of Commons. The election was won by Michael Martin
MP.
As a member for a constituency with a strong connection with the railway industry, she had considerable expertise on transport matters, and was Chair of the House of Commons' Transport Committee
from 1997 to 2008. In this role she was a credible, independent-minded critic of the government, and she and her committee discomfited witnesses from the rail and air transport industries. Her involvement in railways extended beyond parliamentary responsibilities, and in December 2007 she presented the coveted National Railway Heritage Award plaque to a Swanage Railway
team of volunteers for the installation of a historic footbridge at Corfe Castle railway station
.
An attempt by the government whips to remove her and Donald Anderson, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, from their positions after the 2001 general election
led to a revolt by back-bench members of Parliament, which resulted in them both being reinstated.
She was President of Labour Friends of Israel
from 1988 to 1993, and was a parliamentary consultant to the British Fur Federation. She was one of 13 Labour MPs to vote against a reduction of the age of consent for homosexual acts to 16.
She had a house in her constituency, and a flat in the Barbican
. She suffered from financial problems in the late 1980s, with a house in her constituency being repossessed due to mortgage arrears, was threatened with eviction from her London flat, and had furniture seized by bailiffs to meet rent arrears. She was sued by Barclays Bank due to an unpaid loan.
A formidable backbencher, Dunwoody was voted "Battle-axe of the Year" by Oldie magazine
.
The Daily Telegraph described her as "Clever, acerbic, fiercely independent and often just plain funny", noting her willingness to cast party allegiance aside
, Oxford
, following emergency heart surgery.
Her funeral was held at St. Margaret's, Westminster
on 8 May 2008. She is buried at North Sheen Cemetery.
Her former husband died in 2006. She was survived by her daughter and two sons.
Her daughter Tamsin Dunwoody was selected as the Labour Party candidate in the by-election for Crewe & Nantwich
. The by-election was announced by chief party whip Geoff Hoon on Wednesday 30 April 2008 and was held on Thursday 22 May 2008. Dunwoody failed to win the by-election and the Conservative candidate, Edward Timpson
, became her mother's successor.
's record of the longest total service for a woman MP, at 37 years, 9 months. In early December 2007, she beat Barbara Castle
's record of the longest unbroken service for a woman MP, at 33 years, 9 months.
Irene Ward
continues to hold the records for the oldest woman to be re-elected to the House of Commons (75 years, 3 months), the longest span of service for a woman MP (42 years, 4 months), and the oldest ever woman MP (at 79 years, 0 months).
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician, who was the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Exeter
Exeter (UK Parliament constituency)
Exeter is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
from 1966
United Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
to 1970
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
, and then for Crewe
Crewe (UK Parliament constituency)
Crewe was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
(later Crewe and Nantwich
Crewe and Nantwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Crewe and Nantwich is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election. For 25 years since its creation in 1983, the constituency had elected the Labour MP Gwyneth...
) from 1974
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
to her death in 2008. She remains the longest ever serving female Member
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, by both length of total and length of continuous service. She had a reputation as a fiercely independent parliamentarian, described as "intelligent, obstinate, opinionated and hard-working".
Early and private life
Dunwoody was born in FulhamFulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, London, where her father was Labour parliamentary agent. She belonged to an experienced political dynasty: her father, Morgan Phillips
Morgan Phillips
Morgan Walter Phillips was a colliery worker and trade union activist who became the General Secretary of the British Labour Party, involved in two of the party's election victories....
, was a former coalminer who served as General Secretary of the Labour Party
General Secretary of the Labour Party
The General Secretary is the most senior employee of the British Labour Party, and acts as the non-voting secretary to the National Executive Committee...
between 1944 and 1962; her mother, Norah Phillips was a former member of London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
who became a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
in 1964, serving as a government whip in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, and as Lord Lieutenant of Greater London
Lord Lieutenant of Greater London
The Lord Lieutenant of Greater London is Her Majesty's representative in Greater London, including the 32 London boroughs.This is a complete list of Lord Lieutenants of Greater London in the United Kingdom....
from 1978 to 1986. Both of her grandmothers were suffragettes, and all four grandparents were Labour party loyalists.
She attended the Fulham County Secondary School for Girls, now known as the Fulham Cross School and the Notre Dame Convent. She left school aged 16, and became a journalist with a local newspaper in Fulham, covering births, marriages and deaths. She joined the Labour Party in 1947, and spoke at the 1948 Labour party conference in Scarborough. She worked as an actress in repertory
Repertory
Repertory or rep, also called stock in the United States, is a term used in Western theatre and opera.A repertory theatre can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation...
and as a journalist in the Netherlands, learning fluent Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, before suffering a bout of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.
Married life
She married John DunwoodyJohn Dunwoody
John Elliot Orr Dunwoody CBE was a British Labour politician.Dunwoody was educated at St Paul's School, then trained as a doctor at King's College London, and Westminster Hospital Medical School...
in 1954, the same year he qualified as a doctor. Her husband became a general practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
based in Totnes
Totnes
Totnes is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. They had two sons and a daughter. Their daughter, Tamsin Dunwoody, was a member of the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
for one term between 2003 and 2007 and from 2005 was Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks in the Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Assembly Government
The Welsh Government is the devolved government of Wales. It is accountable to the National Assembly for Wales, the legislature which represents the interests of the people of Wales and makes laws for Wales...
.
Her husband stood as Labour candidate in the safe Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
seat of Tiverton
Tiverton (UK Parliament constituency)
Tiverton was a constituency located in east Devon, formerly represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Enfranchised as a parliamentary borough in 1615 and first represented in 1621, it elected two Members of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in 1959, and came close to winning Plymouth Sutton in 1964, losing by just 410 votes (David Owen
David Owen
David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen CH PC FRCP is a British politician.Owen served as British Foreign Secretary from 1977 to 1979, the youngest person in over forty years to hold the post; he co-authored the failed Vance-Owen and Owen-Stoltenberg peace plans offered during the Bosnian War...
would later hold for several years for Labour).
Meanwhile, Dunwoody was a councillor on Totnes
Totnes
Totnes is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
Borough Council (now South Hams
South Hams
South Hams is a local government district on the south coast of Devon, England with its headquarters in the town of Totnes. It contains the towns of Dartmouth, Kingsbridge, Ivybridge, Salcombe — the largest of which is Ivybridge with a population of 16,056....
) from 1963-6. Her husband was finally elected as Labour MP for Falmouth and Camborne in 1966
United Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
(she was elected at the same time in Exeter). He served as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department of Health and Social Security
Department of Health and Social Security
The Department of Health and Social Security was a ministry of the British government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Social Services.-History:...
from 1969 until 1970. A well-regarded orator at the Labour Party Conference, John Dunwoody was spoken of as a future leader of the Party but lost his seat in the 1970 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
and did not return to Parliament. They were divorced in 1975.
Parliamentary career
Dunwoody stood as the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
candidate for the Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
seat in the 1964 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
. She was elected as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Exeter in 1966
United Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
, emulating her husband in nearby Falmouth and Camborne. Like her husband, she also served as a junior minister, as a Parliamentary Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
at the Board of Trade
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
, and also lost her seat at the 1970 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
.
From 1970 to 1975, she was Director of the Film Producers Association of Great Britain and Consultant to the Association of Independent Cinemas.
She returned to the House of Commons after the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
, becoming MP for the safe Labour seat
Safe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
of Crewe
Crewe (UK Parliament constituency)
Crewe was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, having received the sponsorship of the National Union of Railwaymen
National Union of Railwaymen
The National Union of Railwaymen was a trade union of railway workers in the United Kingdom. It an industrial union founded in 1913 by the merger of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants , the United Pointsmen and Signalmen's Society and the General Railway Workers' Union .The NUR...
(later part of RMT
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers is a trade union in the United Kingdom which unionises transport workers. It has more than 80,000 members, and its current general secretary is Bob Crow...
). Dunwoody was also a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
between 1975 and 1979 (alongside John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
) at a time when MEPs were nominated by national parliaments — MEPs have been directly elected since 1979.
In 1983, Dunwoody stood for election as deputy leader of the Labour Party, alongside Peter Shore
Peter Shore
Peter David Shore, Baron Shore of Stepney PC was a British Labour politician and former Cabinet Minister, noted in part for his opposition to the United Kingdom's entry into the European Economic Community. His idiosyncratic left-wing nationalism led to comparison with the French politician...
, on a Eurosceptic
EuroSceptic
EuroSceptic is the second album of British singer Jack Lucien. It was released in October 2009.Due to being an album influenced by Europop, it features songs with parts in different languages...
platform (a position she consistently maintained throughout her career - she voted against the Maastricht Treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
seven times). The position was won by Roy Hattersley
Roy Hattersley
Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley is a British Labour politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.-Early life:...
, and Dunwoody came last out of the four candidates with 1.3% of the Electoral College
Electoral college
An electoral college is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to a particular office. Often these represent different organizations or entities, with each organization or entity represented by a particular number of electors or with votes weighted in a particular way...
.
She did not return to ministerial office, but served as a front bench spokesman on, by turns, transport, health, and foreign affairs during the 18 years of Labour opposition from 1979 to 1997. She also served on the Labour National Executive Committee
National Executive Committee
The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affiliated trade unions, the Parliamentary Labour Party and European Parliamentary Labour Party, Constituency Labour Parties,...
for seven years, from 1981 to 1988, collaborating closely with Betty Boothroyd
Betty Boothroyd
Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd, OM, PC is a British politician, who served as Member of Parliament for West Bromwich and West Bromwich West from 1973 to 2000, initially for the Labour Party and, from 1992 to 2000, as Speaker of the House of Commons...
. She opposed all-women shortlists
All-women shortlists
The use of all-women shortlists is the political practice intended to increase the proportion of female Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom by allowing only women to stand in particular constituencies for a particular political party. Though the practice is available to all parties, only...
, and resisted Militant
Militant Tendency
The Militant tendency was an entrist group within the British Labour Party based around the Militant newspaper that was first published in 1964...
.
In 1983
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, boundary changes abolished the constituency of Crewe and created the constituency of Crewe and Nantwich
Crewe and Nantwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Crewe and Nantwich is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election. For 25 years since its creation in 1983, the constituency had elected the Labour MP Gwyneth...
, with many Conservative voters from Nantwich
Nantwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Nantwich was a parliamentary constituency in Cheshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected using the first-past-the-post voting system.-History:...
included in the new seat. She narrowly won the election in 1983 by 290 votes. She remained MP at Crewe and Nantwich until her death in 2008, having benefited from a further redrawing of the boundaries in 1997 which increased her majority substantially.
In 1998, she gained headlines around the world when she clashed with New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani urging the return of the original Winnie the Pooh dolls from Donnell Library Center
Donnell Library Center
The Donnell Library Center was a branch of the New York City Library at 20 West 53rd Street just north of Rockefeller Center. It closed as of August 30, 2008....
to the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
after she said she "detected sadness" in their display behind bulletproof glass
Bulletproof glass
Bulletproof glass is a type of strong but optically transparent material that is particularly resistant to being penetrated when struck by bullets, but is not completely impenetrable. It is usually made from a combination of two or more types of glass, one hard and one soft...
in the United States library.
In October 2000, she was one of several candidates for the speakership of the House of Commons. The election was won by Michael Martin
Michael Martin (politician)
Michael John Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn, PC is a British politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Glasgow Springburn from 1979 to 2005, and then for Glasgow North East until 2009...
MP.
As a member for a constituency with a strong connection with the railway industry, she had considerable expertise on transport matters, and was Chair of the House of Commons' Transport Committee
Transport Committee
The Transport Select Committee is a select committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The remit of the Committee is to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Transport and its associated public bodies.-Membership:As of 18 July 2011,...
from 1997 to 2008. In this role she was a credible, independent-minded critic of the government, and she and her committee discomfited witnesses from the rail and air transport industries. Her involvement in railways extended beyond parliamentary responsibilities, and in December 2007 she presented the coveted National Railway Heritage Award plaque to a Swanage Railway
Swanage Railway
The Swanage Railway is a long heritage railway in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England. The railway follows the route of the Purbeck branch line between Norden railway station, Corfe Castle railway station, Harman's Cross railway station, Herston Halt railway station and Swanage...
team of volunteers for the installation of a historic footbridge at Corfe Castle railway station
Corfe Castle railway station
Corfe Castle railway station is a railway station located in the village of Corfe Castle, in the English county of Dorset. Originally an intermediate station on the London and South Western Railway branch line from Wareham to Swanage, the line and station were closed by British Rail in 1972...
.
An attempt by the government whips to remove her and Donald Anderson, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, from their positions after the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
led to a revolt by back-bench members of Parliament, which resulted in them both being reinstated.
She was President of Labour Friends of Israel
Labour Friends of Israel
Labour Friends of Israel is a lobby group promoting support within the British Labour Party for a strong bilateral relationship between Britain and Israel. It also seeks to strengthen ties between the British and the Israeli Labour party...
from 1988 to 1993, and was a parliamentary consultant to the British Fur Federation. She was one of 13 Labour MPs to vote against a reduction of the age of consent for homosexual acts to 16.
She had a house in her constituency, and a flat in the Barbican
Barbican Estate
The Barbican Estate is a residential estate built during the 1960s and the 1970s in the City of London, in an area once devastated by World War II bombings and today densely populated by financial institutions...
. She suffered from financial problems in the late 1980s, with a house in her constituency being repossessed due to mortgage arrears, was threatened with eviction from her London flat, and had furniture seized by bailiffs to meet rent arrears. She was sued by Barclays Bank due to an unpaid loan.
A formidable backbencher, Dunwoody was voted "Battle-axe of the Year" by Oldie magazine
The Oldie
The Oldie is a monthly magazine launched in 1992 by Richard Ingrams, who for 23 years was the editor of Private Eye. It carries general interest articles, humour and cartoons, and has an eclectic list of contributors, including James Le Fanu, John Sweeney, Thomas Stuttaford, Virginia Ironside,...
.
The Daily Telegraph described her as "Clever, acerbic, fiercely independent and often just plain funny", noting her willingness to cast party allegiance aside
Death
Dunwoody died peacefully during the evening of 17 April 2008 in John Radcliffe HospitalJohn Radcliffe Hospital
The John Radcliffe Hospital is a large tertiary teaching hospital in Oxford, England.It is the main teaching hospital for Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University. As such, it is a well-developed centre of medical research. It also incorporates the Medical School of the University of Oxford....
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, following emergency heart surgery.
Her funeral was held at St. Margaret's, Westminster
St. Margaret's, Westminster
The Anglican church of St. Margaret, Westminster Abbey is situated in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, and is the parish church of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in London...
on 8 May 2008. She is buried at North Sheen Cemetery.
Her former husband died in 2006. She was survived by her daughter and two sons.
Her daughter Tamsin Dunwoody was selected as the Labour Party candidate in the by-election for Crewe & Nantwich
Crewe and Nantwich by-election, 2008
The Crewe and Nantwich by-election, 2008 was a parliamentary by-election held on 22 May 2008, for the British House of Commons constituency of Crewe and Nantwich, in Cheshire, England...
. The by-election was announced by chief party whip Geoff Hoon on Wednesday 30 April 2008 and was held on Thursday 22 May 2008. Dunwoody failed to win the by-election and the Conservative candidate, Edward Timpson
Edward Timpson
Anthony Edward Timpson is a British Conservative Party politician. He became a Member of Parliament in 2008 after winning a by-election in the constituency of Crewe and Nantwich.-Biography:Timpson was born in Knutsford, Cheshire, in 1973...
, became her mother's successor.
Records
In late September 2007, Dunwoody beat Irene WardIrene Ward
Irene Mary Bewick Ward, Baroness Ward of North Tyneside, CH, DBE was a British Conservative politician. She was a long-serving Member of Parliament .Ward was educated privately and at Newcastle Church High School...
's record of the longest total service for a woman MP, at 37 years, 9 months. In early December 2007, she beat Barbara Castle
Barbara Castle
Barbara Anne Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn , PC, GCOT was a British Labour Party politician....
's record of the longest unbroken service for a woman MP, at 33 years, 9 months.
Irene Ward
Irene Ward
Irene Mary Bewick Ward, Baroness Ward of North Tyneside, CH, DBE was a British Conservative politician. She was a long-serving Member of Parliament .Ward was educated privately and at Newcastle Church High School...
continues to hold the records for the oldest woman to be re-elected to the House of Commons (75 years, 3 months), the longest span of service for a woman MP (42 years, 4 months), and the oldest ever woman MP (at 79 years, 0 months).