City MPs fail to honour Nancy Astor

6.32.43pm GMT Mon 14th Dec 2009

Plymouth's Nancy Astor was the first woman to sit as an MP

Plymouth's Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidates have condemned as "strange" the failure of the city's two MPs to support a House of Commons motion marking the 90th anniversary of Nancy Astor's election to Parliament as a Plymouth MP.

Following her victory in a parliamentary by-election in December 1919, Lady Astor became the first woman to take her seat as a Member of Parliament, representing Plymouth Sutton.

On 2nd December, Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson, tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons marking the 90th anniversary of Lady Astor's election. It has so far attracted the support of 34 MPs, from right across the political spectrum, but neither Linda Gilroy nor Alison Seabeck has so far signed.

Both city MPs have in the past however signed similar motions on an odd variety of subjects. For example, Linda Gilroy, the current MP for Lady Astor's Plymouth Sutton seat, has signed Early Day Motions celebrating the opening of the Scottish Mining Museum as well as one warning of the dangers of being a trade unionist in Colombia.

Her colleague Alison Seabeck, the MP in neighbouring Plymouth Devonport, has signed a motion marking the fact that Britain is the largest direct foreign investor in the Indian state of Gujarat.

Commenting, Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, Dr Judy Evans said, "Plymouth is a city with a rich history, and Nancy Astor's election to Parliament was one of the great moments in that history. I hope that Linda Gilroy, as the current MP for Nancy Astor's old seat, will sign this motion straight away, and honour her predecessor's achievement.

"Every day I tell people that we need MPs who tell the world how proud of Plymouth they are. They are our ambassadors to the world and should be celebrating everything that is great about our city!"

Stuart Bonar, the Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate in Plymouth Moor View, added, "I remember being taught about Nancy Astor when I was a pupil at Manadon Vale Primary School and again at Devonport High School for Boys. My friend at DHS even won a competition to name the school's blocks, and the old 'A block' was renamed Astor. This city is rightly proud of her.

"It's strange that neither of Plymouth's MPs has signed this motion, especially as they seemed to have signed such an odd variety of other ones in the past. As important as Scottish mining, Colombian trade unionism and investment in Gujarat are, I doubt they are more important to Plymouth than this great woman and her historic achievement.

"I'm pleased to see that Colin Breed, the city's nearest Lib Dem MP, over the water in South East Cornwall, has signed the motion. Now let's have the Labour MPs who supposedly represent our city follow the Lib Dem lead."