In September 1581, Sir Francis Drake became Member of Parliament the same year, for an unknown constituency (possibly Camelford), and again in 1584 for Bossiney and Plymouth in 1593.
The oldest MP was Sir Francis Knollys, re-elected for Reading aged 90 and said to be 97 or 98 at his death in 1648.
The playwright Richard Sheridan became a Member of Parliament in 1780, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs in 1782, Secretary to the Treasury in 1783.
When Henry Fawcett was elected a Labour Member of Parliament for Brighton in 1865, he became the first ever blind MP. (He was blinded aged 25 in a shooting accident).
Arthur MacMorrough Kavanagh, Conservative MP for County Wexford (1866–1868) and for County Carlow (1868–1880), was the first MP in a wheelchair. MacMurrough Kavanagh had been born with partially formed arms and legs and was given dispensation to be accompanied in the Commons Chamber by a servant who helped place him on the benches.
The longest serving MP was Charles Pelham Villiers. When he died on January 16, 1898, aged 96 years and 13 days, he had represented Wolverhampton South for a record 63 years and six days.
James Bond author Ian Fleming's father was Valentine Fleming, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Henley from 1910 until he was killed in World War I.
Elected MPs were first given a salary in 1911 — £400 (equivalent to £32,900 now). Today, they earn £74,000.
Irish woman Constance Markievicz became the first female Member of Parliament to be elected to the British House of Commons on December 27, 1918, representing Sinn Féin. However, in line with her party's abstention policy, she refused to take her seat in the House of Commons. and never served.
American-born socialite Viscountess Nancy Astor was elected as a Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom on November 28, 1919, She succeeded her husband, the 2nd Viscount Astor, in the Conservative seat of Plymouth, becoming the first woman to sit in the House of Commons.
Nancy Astor became the first woman MP to address the House of Commons on February 24, 1920. In her maiden speech, Lady Astor strongly advocated the return of the strict drinking hours which had prevailed during the war.
Margaret Bondfield became the first female member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom on June 8, 1929 when she was named Minister of Labour by Ramsay MacDonald. Her term of cabinet office in 1929–31 was marked by the economic crises that beset the second Labour government. She did not follow Ramsay MacDonald into the National Government that assumed office when the Labour government fell in August 1931
Angela and Maria Eagle are only the second twins to sit in Parliament together. The other parliamentary twins were James and Richard Grenville who were elected to represent Buckinghamshire in 1774.
The oldest MP was Sir Francis Knollys, re-elected for Reading aged 90 and said to be 97 or 98 at his death in 1648.
The playwright Richard Sheridan became a Member of Parliament in 1780, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs in 1782, Secretary to the Treasury in 1783.
When Henry Fawcett was elected a Labour Member of Parliament for Brighton in 1865, he became the first ever blind MP. (He was blinded aged 25 in a shooting accident).
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| Henry Fawcett; Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett (née Garrett), by Ford Madox Brown (died 1893). |
Arthur MacMorrough Kavanagh, Conservative MP for County Wexford (1866–1868) and for County Carlow (1868–1880), was the first MP in a wheelchair. MacMurrough Kavanagh had been born with partially formed arms and legs and was given dispensation to be accompanied in the Commons Chamber by a servant who helped place him on the benches.
The longest serving MP was Charles Pelham Villiers. When he died on January 16, 1898, aged 96 years and 13 days, he had represented Wolverhampton South for a record 63 years and six days.
James Bond author Ian Fleming's father was Valentine Fleming, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Henley from 1910 until he was killed in World War I.
Elected MPs were first given a salary in 1911 — £400 (equivalent to £32,900 now). Today, they earn £74,000.
Irish woman Constance Markievicz became the first female Member of Parliament to be elected to the British House of Commons on December 27, 1918, representing Sinn Féin. However, in line with her party's abstention policy, she refused to take her seat in the House of Commons. and never served.
American-born socialite Viscountess Nancy Astor was elected as a Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom on November 28, 1919, She succeeded her husband, the 2nd Viscount Astor, in the Conservative seat of Plymouth, becoming the first woman to sit in the House of Commons.
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| Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor |
Nancy Astor became the first woman MP to address the House of Commons on February 24, 1920. In her maiden speech, Lady Astor strongly advocated the return of the strict drinking hours which had prevailed during the war.
Margaret Bondfield became the first female member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom on June 8, 1929 when she was named Minister of Labour by Ramsay MacDonald. Her term of cabinet office in 1929–31 was marked by the economic crises that beset the second Labour government. She did not follow Ramsay MacDonald into the National Government that assumed office when the Labour government fell in August 1931
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| English politician and feminist Margaret Bondfield (1873-1953) |
Angela and Maria Eagle are only the second twins to sit in Parliament together. The other parliamentary twins were James and Richard Grenville who were elected to represent Buckinghamshire in 1774.
Before Michael Shanks was elected Member of Parliament for Rutherglen and Hamilton West on October 5, 2023, he took on the ambitious challenge of running along all 6,143 streets in Glasgow. This was a truly remarkable feat, and it took him over two years to complete.
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