Women's Parliamentary Radio

Anne Jenkin

The name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but the Liberal MP for North St Pancras, Sir Willoughby Hyett Dickinson, should be a hero to the women's movement. He introducted the first Women's Suffrage Bill in 1907,as a Private Member's Bill. Sir Willoughby Dickinson was an early pioneer of votes for women. He had two highly educated sisters, one a doctor, and he couldn't understand why he could have the vote and his two sisters couldn't.

The story is told in this ninetieth year since women got the vote, by the energetic, dynamic, formidable and witty, Anne Jenkin, wife of the Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin. Anne is a political force in her own right, as a fund raiser, campaigner and co-founder of the Conservative's Women2Win Campaign. Boni Sones spoke to Anne by the new exhibition to the suffragettes in Westminster and then by the statue of Margaret Thatcher, who is a friend, one of many in her legendary contacts book.

Viscountess Davidson MP (taking her seat) with
her father, Lord (formerly Sir Willoughby) Dickinson
and husband, Viscount Davidson

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Julie Kirkbride MP

The government has just announced it is to extend the right to Flexible working to all parents with a child under 16 from April next year. The announcement was made by Labour's Secretary of State for Equalities, Harriet Harman, at Prime Minister's Questions. At the moment the right only applies to parents with a child under 6 and there had been talk of not implementing the changes because of the recession.

Well, the Conservative MP for Bromsgrove, Julie Kirkbride, has thought carefully about her role as a working mother with an eight year old son. She has prioritised her busy life to ensure she sees as much of Angus as possible, and is happy to keep her political ambitions in check so as not to miss out on his growing up. Not unsurprisingly, Julie is an advocate of flexible working.

Boni Sones, asked Julie Kirkbride MP to say why she thought flexible working was good for her family and good for business.

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Maria Eagle MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Women and Equality

The Queen's Speech contained new measures to promote equality through a new all-embracing Equality Bill. The measures will replace nine current laws, drawing them together to address discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, sexual orientation or disability.

The new Bill deals with tough issues such as equal pay, age discrimination in the provision of goods and services, discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, and who gets what job in the promotion stakes. But should it have included the private sector too, and is there a need for compulsory pay audits?

In this exclusive interview, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Women and Equality, Maria Eagle MP told Boni Sones, why critics of the Bill had got it wrong and why, 90 years after women got the vote, the suffragettes would have been proud of the Bill.

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James Purnell MP
Works and Pensions Minister

One of the surprise changes of 2008 was when the Works and Pensions Minister, James Purnell, announced hundreds of thousands of women will win the right to a full state pension. Carers, full-time mothers and other women who have not paid enough National Insurance to qualify will be allowed to make one-off payments to bridge the gap and catch up. Pensions campaigners across party were jubilant. It will benefit up to 555,000 people.

Purnell said women will be able to buy back up to 12 years of missed contributions instead of the present six. The changes will relate to any person, but in reality mainly women, who will retire between April 6th this year and April 5th 2015, and who has 20 years or more of their National Insurance record. Pensions campaigner, Alexandra Kemp, of the West Norfolk Women and Carers Pensions Network and a member of the powerful coalition for Human Rights and Women and Pensions, told Boni Sones what she thought the original suffragettes would have thought of these changes, 90 years since women won the vote.

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Caroline Lucas MEP
Leader of the Green Party

Caroline Lucas, MEP is the leader of the Green Party and the only woman in Britain to head a major political party. She is the MEP for South East England, and is standing as an MP in the next General Election for Brighton Pavilion. The Green Party has significant pockets of support across Britain now, with an increasing number of councillors and is hoping for renewed success in next year's European Elections. They also count Lewisham and Norwich South as winnable seats in a General Election.

In this two part interview, wpradio journalist Anne Garvey asked Caroline to spell out her hopes for a new global green agenda and women following Barack Obama's success as President Elect in the USA, and Executive Producer of wpradio Boni Sones, talked to Caroline about the specific policies of the Green Party.

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Part two
Interview by Boni Sones

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Women's parliamentary Radio unveils photographs of Women MPs at the National Portrait Gallery

See the BBC video report on our photographic exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.

You can read our brochure on the unveiling of our photographs at the National Portrait Gallery on 29th October, here...
(large pdf file - opens in new window)

The press release on the unveiling by Maria Eagle MP, the Deputy Minister for Women and Equalities, Theresa May MP, Shadow Minister for Women for the Conservatives and Lynne Featherstone MP, The Liberal Democrats Equailities Spokesperson, can be read here...

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill Report stage will be debated by the Commons this week. Proponents of change to our current abortion laws are going to be proposing some further liberalising amendments, including reducing the number of doctors signatures from 2 to 1 that you need to get an abortion, allowing midwives to carry out abortions and for them to be carried out in GP surgeries. Diana Abbott, MP is also going to be propsoing an amendment that would allow women from Northern Ireland to have abortions on the NHS in Britain. Currently Northern Ireland's abortion laws are governed by an Act that was passed in 1861, before women even had the right to vote. Dr Evan Harris MP, is a leading advocate for change as are other MPs across party. Boni Sones spoke to him, Ann Furedi, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, and Kate Paterson, an NHS Consultant obstetrician at a briefing meeting.

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Britain's youngest MP Jo Swinson interviews Malalai Joya, the youngest person in the Afghanistan Parliament

Malalai Joya defied death threats to travel on London's underground to be interviewed by 28 year old Liberal Democrat MP for East Dunbartonshire, Jo Swinson for WP Radio at the House of Commons recently.     Listen to the interview

Peter Day and Harriet Harriett Harman MP, Minister for Women and Leader of the House of Commons

Presenter Peter Day, goes to Norway to find out why others aren't following its lead to make it legally binding for all the boards of companies to have 40 per cent women. He compares Norway with Spain and Britain, and talks to Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Leader of the House of Commons and others.

Producers: Sandra Kanthal and Rosamund Jones Editor: Stephen Chilcott.

Thanks to the BBC for allowing us to broadcast this.
Tune into the BBC's latest "In Business" programme

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Fiona Mactaggart MP

Fiona Mactaggart the Labour MP for Slough, and former Home Office Minister, is an advocate for the reform of the Prostitution laws in this Country. She would like to see Britain adopt a model based on Sweden, where all paid prostitution is outlawed. In countries such as New Zealand, they have actually legalised prostitution, but Fiona says that won't work here. She believes we need a total ban on buying sex to protect women and to stop the trade in prostituion and trafficking. In this extended interview, Boni Sones asked her why?

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Mums for Mums, Ethiopia

Listen to our the broadcast on women in Ethiopia and how 90 years since women in Britain first got the vote, in some regions of Ethiopia they have a higher percentage of women in their parliaments than we do.

Lucy Fairbrother

Lucy Fairbrother is a 23-year-old political activist who put her ideals to the test at the beginning of the Bejing Olympics. Together with a friend, Iain Thom, she put a "One World One Dream Free Tibet" banner at the top of a lighting pole just outside the Bird's Nest stadium. After being questioned by the Chinese police she and Iain flew home to Britain. www.wpradio.co.uk reporter Daisy Ayliffe spoke to her on her return to find out what motivated her to be an activist.

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Vandna Gohil

Voice4Change England has brought together leading policy makers from across Britain at a syposium in London. "Equality and Cohesion in Diverse Britain:the Making of Public Policy" set out to consider how public policy is made and whether effective policies were being pursued by public bodies. The recent court case over single group funding involving Southall Black Sisters, and the commissioning of domestic violence services, as well as the changing meanings of multiculturalism where discussed. The meeting was chaired by Vandna Gohil, the Director of Voice4Change England. Boni Sones reports.

For more go to: www.voice4change-england.co.uk

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Vera Baird MP QC
Pick of the summer weeks listening

Women who kill their abusive partners are to be given a new legal partial defence against murder. It is the first changes to the murder laws in 50 years.

The Solicitor General, Vera Baird MP, the Justice Minister, Maria Eagle MP, the Chair of the Labour Party and Minister for Women, Harriet Harman MP, and the Attorney General Baroness Scotland, have helped to frame the new laws on domestic violence and murder. In the past judges and juries have been prone to letting men off lightly and punishing women harshly.

Earlier this year Vera Baird wept as she told Boni Sones how the tragic case of a teenager who killed her pimp inspired her proposed reform of the laws. Vera worked on the case of Emma Humphries, who was convicted at the age of 17 of killing her boyfriend as he was about to rape her.

Listen to our interview with Vera Baird

Summer Listening:

During Parliaments summer recess tune into the www.wpradio.co.uk suggested pick of the summer weeks listening. Our documentaries inform and entertain.

Jackie Ashley narrating "A Monstrous Regiment"
Boni Sones narrating the "Oona King Diaries - House Music"
Linda Fairbrother narrating "Women in Europe"
International: Rhoda Kalema - "A Rising Tide", women in Uganda.

Peace on the Streets

Labour's Vice-Chair of Youth, Dawn Butler the MP for Brent, has hosted a "Peace on the Streets" summit in Westminster with Choice FM. She wants to involve Black and ethnic minority communities in finding public solutions to guns, gangs and knife crime. A number of London MPs from all parties listened to the panelists speaking including Simon Hughes, the President of the Liberal Democrat Party. Boni Sones spoke to him, Choice FM, and Dawn as the summit ended. 

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All-Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group

Not every politician is gloomy about youth culture today. The All-Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group has teamed up with Yamaha, Classic FM, Jazzwise, and PPL to award six jazz scholarships to young muscians who took their jazz direct to MPs in the Commons. Michael Connarty, the Labour MP for Linlithgow & East Falkirk, is co-Chair of the parliamentary group and Mrs Linda Riordan, the Labour MP for Halifax, is a supporter. Boni Sones asked them why.

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Dr Katherine Rake

Labour's Minister for Women, Harriet Harman, wants women to be given extended maternity leave of up to a year off work. The Conservative's Shadow Minister for Women, Theresa May, says she's lost touch with the times and men as well as women need to be given the right to take extended leave when their children are born.

Under the governmnet's plans men would only get two weeks of leave. Dr Katherine Rake, Director of the Fawcett Society, says parental leave should be available to both parents on a paid basis. Boni Sones spoke to her about this weeks political hot debate.

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Ann Cryer MP
Chris Bryant MP

Ann Cryer, the Labour MP for Keighley has tabled an Early Day Motion - 1825 - asking The House, to call on the Church of England to remove all legal obstacles which prevent women from becoming bishops; and asks the Church to end this unacceptable form of discrimination against women clergy.

Chris Bryant, the Labour MP for Rhondda, is a supporter. Both were at a conference to talk about the issue organised by the WATCH group, Women and the Church, which has urged the Church to end discrimination.

Boni Sones spoke to them both.

Ann Cryer
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Chris Bryant
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Only "One in Five" of our MPs is a woman

Jackie Ashley	Chris Keates, NASUWT	Daisy Ayliffe

The NASUWT, the largest UK-wide teachers' union, held a conference in London to delve into the thorny issue of why, 90 years after women achieved the vote for the first time, only " One in Five " of our MPs is a woman. Chris Keates, the General Secretary of the NASUWT, said we needed to do more to encourage women into politics. The event was Chaired by Jackie Ashley of Women's Parliamentary Radio.

Our reporter Daisy Ayliffe spoke to Jackie and Chris and asked if lessons could be learnt from the Welsh Assembly? Her report starts with the voice of Christabel Pankhurst, the daughter of the leading suffragette Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst.

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The Conservative Party is actively encouraging the Black Minority andEthnic community to get involved in politics at a grass root level.

At a conference in London over 50 delegates listened to how they could gettheir "VOICE" heard in the Conservative Party. They heard speeches fromSimon Woolley of Operation Black Vote, Sonia Brown, of the National Black Women's Network and Theresa May MP the Shadow Leader of the Houseand the Shadow Minister for Women.

The Conference was organised by theWomen's Officer, Liz St Clair. Boni Sones spoke to them as the
Conference adjourned for lunch.

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Ann Treneman

She needs no introduction as a Parliamentary sketch writer. Ann Treneman's columns in the Times newspaper are much admired. She was nominated for the Dods Scottish Widows female political journalist of the year this year. She likes to describe what she witnesses in the Chamber as a playground spat. No more so then when the women MPs collide and she witnesses "a catfight". Here she reads from three of her sketches and talks to Boni Sones.

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The Oona King Diaries

Oona King, is credited with writing a frank, authentic and genuinely humerous book on her time as an MP in Westminster. She was elected as the MP for Bethnal Green and Bow in 1997 along with 100 other Labour women, one of only 239 women ever to be elected to Parliament. She achieved significant change while she was there on issues such as housing, landmines and the prevention of genocide.

Oona's remarkable social values were given her by her Jewish mother Hazel and her father Preston. She lost her seat to George Galloway, of the Respect Party, in 2005. As part of the wpradio.co.uk celebration of 90 years since women got the vote, Oona reads from her diaries and is interviewed by Boni Sones. Sound engineer is Pete Cook of Screenspace.

"The Oona King Diaries - House Music" is published by Bloomsbury, £12.99. Copyright Oona King

Oona King reads from her diaries  Part 1

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Oona King reads from her diaries  Part 2

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NASUWT One in Five London Conference

Women's Parliamentary Radio will be bringing you reports from the NASUWT One in Five London Conference on 5th June. The conference is asking why only one in five of our MPs is female? We will be interviewing key note speakers. Chris Keates, the General Secretary of the NASUWT,the largest UK-wide teachers' union, said:"It is clear that we need to continue to strive for the increased involvement of women in politics."

Baroness Shirley Williams

The Liberal Democrat Peer, Shirley Williams, has had a distinguished career in British politics. She was a member of the Wilson and Callaghan Governments in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1981 she co-founded the Social Democratic Party, becoming the first MP elected for the SDP in 1981. She is now writing her autobiography to be published next year. As the daughter of the renowned feminist Vera Brittan, it will no doubt contain many gems on British political history. Shirley has just delivered the annual Women's Library speech celebrating 90 years since women got the vote. Here she tells Boni Sones, what she thinks of women's political progress throughout the World.

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Caroline Spelman MP - Conservative

Caroline Spelman is the Chairman of the Conservative Party and has been the MP for Meriden since 1997. As a working mother she says her children are her top priority. She is working with the Conservative Women's Organisation to challenge Society's attitude to violence against women. In her West Midlands constituency she has helped set up a charity called MABL (Make a Better Life) to help women affected by violence access services. Now she is taking on the issue of stalking, to ensure the police, policy makers, and government realise what a serious crime it is and how it can, in some cases, lead to murder. She is interviewed by Boni Sones.

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Nadine Dorries MP - Conservative

Nadine Dorries the Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire is at the forefront of a campaign to reduce the time limit on abortions. As a former nurse, she is a passionate advocate of a 20 week limit. She is interviewed by Brian Shallcross of GCap media.

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Charles Walker MP - Conservative

Charles Walker the Conservative MP for Broxbourne, has been trying to get more support for victims of rape. He's held an Adjournment Debate in the Commons this week on the issue and is working across party to ensure more resources are given to rape crisis centres, and to improve the rape conviction rates for reported offences. He is interviewed by Brian Shallcross of GCap media. Thanks to GCap for the interview.

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Theresa May MP - Conservative

The Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, Theresa May, has told wpradio.co.uk that she thinks debate in the Chamber is sometimes too confrontational. While she supported her leader, David Cameron, for being robust in Prime Ministers Questions, she said she was disappointed that The Leader of the House, Harriet Harman, chose to be confrontational in the recent International Women's Day debate. Boni Sones spoke to her.

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Anne McGuire MP

Anne McGuire, the Labour MP for Stirling and the Minister for Disabled People found time out from her ministerial duties to attend the launch of the Jessops Parliamentary photo competition. She was one of a number of MPs who had taken poignant pictures of people and places on their trips abroad. Anne's picture was called "Flowers for the lost: at Auschwitz Birkenau", which she visited with school children from her constituency. Boni Sones spoke to her as the exhibition was launched.

www.jessops.com/parliament will tell you more.

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Gwyneth Dunwoody MP

WP Radio would like to pay tribute to the Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody, who has died aged 77. She was the longest serving female MP in Parliament and had been the MP for Crewe and Nantwich since 1974. She was known as a "fighter" and chaired the Transport Select Committee where she stood up for MPs rights.

Hear her interview with Mark D'Arcy of the BBC in June last year.