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List of electoral firsts in the United Kingdom

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This article lists notable achievements of women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBT people in British politics.

Women

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Women over 30 granted the right to vote: 1918

Women granted the right to vote on the same terms as men: 1928

First female MPs:

Due to the abstentionist policy of Sinn Féin, Markievicz never took her seat in the House of Commons.

First female cabinet minister

First female Catholic MPs

  • Countess Markievicz, Sinn Féin MP for Dublin St Patrick's, 1918–22.
She was also the first non-Protestant woman elected to Parliament, having converted to Catholicism in 1917.[2] She abstained from the House of Commons.

First female member of the House of Lords

First female Commons Government Whip

First female Lords Government Whip

First female Prime Minister

First female foreign secretary

First female home secretary

First female leader of the House of Lords

First female Speaker of the House of Commons

First female leader of the House of Commons

First female First Minister of Scotland

First female Justice secretary and Lord High Chancellor

First female Law Lord

First female speaker in the House of Lords

First female Lord Spiritual

First female ethnic minority member of the Senedd

First female ethnic minority directly elected mayor in England

First female Chancellor

Blind people

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First blind MP

First blind member of the House of Lords

First blind Cabinet member

First blind MSP

First female blind MP (and first black blind MP)

Wheelchair users

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First MP in a wheelchair

  • Arthur MacMorrough Kavanagh, Conservative MP for County Wexford (1866–68) and for County Carlow (1868–80). MacMurrough Kavanagh (who had been born with partially formed arms and legs) was given dispensation to be accompanied in the Commons Chamber by a servant who helped place him on the benches.

First female MP in a wheelchair

Black Britons

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First black MPs:

First black woman MP

First black cabinet member

First black female Cabinet member

First elected black female minister

First elected black Secretary of State

First black Member of the Welsh Assembly

First black Lord Mayor of London

First black woman directly elected mayor

British Chinese

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First Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly of Chinese origin

First British MP of Chinese origin

First female British MP of Chinese origin

Czech Britons

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First Czech-born MP

Polish Britons

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First MP of Polish Jewish descent

First Polish-born MP

South Asians

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Note: South Asians include those of Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Nepalese or Bangladeshi ancestry First South Asian MP

First South Asian Cabinet member

Javid, who is of Pakistani descent, was succeeded as Chancellor of the Exchequer by Rishi Sunak, who is of Indian descent. This was the first time that someone from an ethnic minority had been succeeded in one of the Great Offices of State by another person from that category.[15]

First South Asian Member of the Welsh Assembly

First South Asian Member of the Scottish Parliament

First South Asian minister in the Scottish Government

First South Asian first minister of Scotland

First female South Asian MP

First MP of Burmese descent

First South Asian Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Rishi Sunak is the first person of colour to hold the office of prime minister

Jews

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First Jewish Prime Minister

Second Jewish MP

First female Jewish MP

First Jewish Speaker of the House of Commons

Muslims

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First Muslim MP

First female Muslim MPs

First hijab-wearing Muslim MP

First Muslim Member of the Scottish Parliament

First Muslim minister in the Scottish Government

First Muslim First Minister of Scotland

Hindus

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First Hindu MP

First Hindu cabinet minister

First Hindu Prime Minister

Sikhs

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First Sikh MP

First female Sikh MP

First turban-wearing Sikh MP

First female Sikh council leader

Buddhists

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First Buddhist MP

Zoroastrians

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First Zoroastrian MP

LGBT people

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See also: List of the first LGBT holders of political offices in the United Kingdom

First openly lesbian MP: Maureen Colquhoun, Labour MP for Northampton North, 1974-79 (outed before coming out)

First openly gay MP (and first openly gay Cabinet minister): Chris Smith, Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury, from 1983 to 2005 and National Heritage/Culture secretary, 1997-2001[26]

First openly gay Member of the House of Lords: Waheed Alli, Baron Alli, Labour Member of the House of Lords, 1998–present (came out in 1999)

First openly bisexual MP: Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrat MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, 1983–2015 (outed before coming out, came out in 2006)

First openly transgender MP: Jamie Wallis, Conservative MP for Bridgend, 2019–24 (came out in March 2022)

First openly transgender MEP: Nikki Sinclaire, United Kingdom Independence Party (later Independent) MEP for the West Midlands from 2009 – 2014. Sinclaire stepped down shortly after coming out in 2013.[27]

First openly lesbian Member of the House of Lords: Deborah Stedman-Scott, Baroness Stedman-Scott, Conservative Member of the House of Lords, 2010–present

First openly lesbian Cabinet minister: Justine Greening, Secretary of State for International Development, 2012–16 (came out in 2016)

First openly pansexual MP: Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, from 2017–present (came out in 2020)

First openly gay member of the Northern Ireland Assembly:

See also

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References and notes

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  1. ^ a b "Famous female firsts". MSN News. 11 November 2009. Archived 14 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "9 facts about Constance Markievicz: Incredible Irishwoman who fought in Easter Rising and became first-ever female MP". Irish Post. 5 February 2018.
  3. ^ Mastermind (1984 ed.). Treasure Press. p. 340.
  4. ^ a b "Lewisham elects Brenda Dacres as first black woman mayor". BBC News. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  5. ^ Fawcett then sat as MP for Hackney until his death in 1884. Subsequent blind MPs have included William Tindal Robertson, a Conservative who succeeded Fawcett as MP for Brighton, from 1874 to his death in 1889; William Macdonald, MP for Ossory from 1886 to 1892; and Ian Fraser, Conservative MP for St Pancras North from 1924 to 1929 then from 1931 to 1934, then MP for Lonsdale from 1940 to 1958, before becoming a member of the House of Lords.
  6. ^ a b "Your first mistake", The Guardian, 20 July 2006
  7. ^ Dresser, Madge (6 January 2020). "The tale of Bristol's fascist-sympathising, disability rights-promoting first woman MP". The Bristol Cable. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  8. ^ "TOWNSEND, James (1737-87), of Bruce Castle, Tottenham, Mdx. | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  9. ^ McClelland, Keith (6 October 2016). "Stewart, John (1789–1860)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/109523. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  10. ^ "Who were the first MPs from ethnic minority backgrounds?". UK Parliament. House of Commons Library. 28 August 2020.
  11. ^ "Memorial calls for Scotland's 'forgotten' first non-white MP". The Scotsman. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  12. ^ "People with Disabilities - Hansard". hansard.parliament.uk. 9 December 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  13. ^ "OLIVER, Richard (1735-84), of Fenchurch St., London | History of Parliament Online". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  14. ^ Fisher, Michael Herbert (2006). Counterflows to colonialism : Indian travellers and settlers in Britain, 1600-1857 ([1st pbk. ed.] ed.). Delhi: Permanent Black. ISBN 81-7824-154-4. OCLC 301709915.
  15. ^ "Cabinet reshuffle: Sajid Javid resigns as chancellor". BBC News. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  16. ^ "First ethnic minority AM elected". BBC News. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  17. ^ a b "Scotland's first Muslim MSP dies". BBC News. 6 February 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  18. ^ a b "First Asian MSP goes to Holyrood". BBC News. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  19. ^ Anderson, Joseph (27 March 2023). "SNP leadership race: Who is Humza Yousaf? What is the minister's record in Cabinet and how did he get into politics?". The Scotsman. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  20. ^ Sanghani, Radhika (11 May 2015). "An Indian woman just made British history - maybe I can be Prime Minister after all?". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  21. ^ "Jewish Community". Spartacus Educational. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  22. ^ "New Jewish ministers and the Miliband rivalry". The Jewish Chronicle. 14 May 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  23. ^ "Sir Lindsay Hoyle promises calm after being elected Speaker". The Guardian. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  24. ^ Samachar, Asia (20 May 2022). "Southampton elects Satvir Kaur as council leader, makes history as first female Sikh leader". Asia Samachar. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  25. ^ Nicholas Timmins (25 July 1992). "Fanfare for a forgotten MP: Nicholas Timmins recalls the election to the Commons of a man of many 'firsts'". The Independent.
  26. ^ Campbell, Dennis (30 January 2005). "The pioneer who changed gay lives". The Observer. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
  27. ^ Day, Aaron (17 November 2013). "Former UKIP MEP reveals she is the UK's first transgender Parliamentarian". Pink News. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2013.

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