Overview

An Independent Book of the Month Edith Summerskill was a remarkable politician, feminist, physician, campaigner and writer. At a time when there were few powerful women in public life, Dr Edith, as she was known, served in Clement Attlee's transformational post-war Labour government and oversaw the National Insurance scheme which solidified the welfare state in Britain. Here, Labour MEP Mary Honeyball, provides the first biography of this remarkable early pioneer for women in politics. Honeyball shows how Edith Summerskill's direct campaigning was instrumental in promoting women's causes throughout her life and lays out her remarkable achievements in securing the equal rights of housewives and divorced women over property. This is an uplifting and enlightening account of a forgotten Labour hero.

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9781350252424

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Edith Summerskill was a pioneering champion of women's rights, a successful minister in Clement Attlee's post-war government, and an influential figure on Labour's National Executive Committee. Yet she was neglected by historians - until now. Mary Honeyball's fine biography restores Summerskill as a substantial figure in the Labour Party's history. It deserves to be widely read. * Nick Thomas-Symonds, MP * Thoroughly researched and written with real affection, Mary Honeyball's book finally gives this great Labour woman the biography she deserves. A worthy tribute, full of inspiration and insight. * Rachel Reeves, MP *

Author Information

Mary Honeyball is a former Labour MEP who represented London from 2000-2019. She is author of Parliamentary Pioneers: Labour Women MPs 1918-1945 (2015).

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