Calling all
Conservative
women
to make a difference
If you want to make a difference where you live, or help us continue to change the country for the better, there is no better way to do it than standing for election or helping other Conservatives get elected.
Margaret Thatcher
The first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
(1979-90)
The grocer’s daughter from Grantham who became the Iron Lady. Margaret Thatcher was the country’s first female Prime Minister and the longest serving Prime Minister of the 20th century – winning three consecutive election victories. She took over a country which was seen as the sick man of Europe and set about reviving the economy, taming the unions, extending share ownership and liberating the Falkland Islands after they were invaded. The Housing Act of 1980 gave council tenants the right to buy their own houses, increasing home ownership. With Ronald Reagan, she helped bring about the end of the Cold War and the spreading of free markets around the world.
Katie Bourne PCC
for East Sussex
(elected 2012)
I had the satisfaction of building a business from the ground up and selling it to my nearest competitor so, when I was ready for another challenge, I wanted one that would make a real and lasting difference to people’s lives. The role of Police and Crime Commissioner gives a voice to victims of unseen crimes and enables me to help make my county a safer place to live and work.
After being elected for the first time in 2012, it wasn’t long before I became the victim of an obsessive stalker and I was able to see for myself the lack of awareness and understanding of this insidious crime by the criminal justice system. I became very determined to drive a change in Sussex and nationally so that other victims didn’t come up against the same problems I was experiencing.
Now in Sussex we have a police force that is leading the field in understanding and responding to stalking. Sussex was the first force in the country to secure stalking protection orders and we have the most experienced and effective stalking support services for victims.
I have secured funding for ground-breaking behavioural change programmes for stalkers to address their obsessive behaviour and a county-wide campaign (Do The Right Thing) that encourages men to challenge misogyny and abusive behaviour towards women.
Local people want a reassuring visible police presence and Sussex now has 137 more police officers than when I was first elected 10 years ago. I am proud to say that I am now the longest-serving female PCC and it’s seeing these real tangible changes and improvements that continues to drive me forwards.
Helen Grant MP
for Maidstone and the Weald
(elected 2010)
My political journey has taken me from a council estate in Carlisle to a career in law, to becoming the first Black female Conservative MP and Minister, and now the PM’s Special Envoy for Girls Education. Since becoming an MP, I’ve always been inspired by issues that I feel connected to – and have been able to let that drive me to push for important changes along the way. I was one of the ministers responsible for taking the historic ‘Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013’ through Parliament, and as Minister for Sport and Tourism I championed the growth of women and girls’ participation in sport in the UK, driving a similar agenda for people from diverse and under-represented communities.
My Nigerian roots have also helped me to feel a strong personal connection to my recent work as the PM’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria and as Special Envoy for Girls Education. I was able to support the drive for economic growth by building on the UK’s existing relations with Nigeria, the country where my father was born and raised. And I have more recently been able to lead the UK’s efforts internationally to ensure all girls get 12 years of quality education – an issue which is incredibly close to my heart. One of my goals is to drive a global campaign to improve learning and get 40 million more girls into school around the world by 2025. My advice to anyone wishing to do the same? Draw on your own experiences and use them to connect you to the changes you want to make.
Theresa May MP
for Maidenhead
(elected 1997)
I started out in politics stuffing envelopes at my local Conservative Association before going on to be a councillor in the London Borough of Merton from 1986 to 1994. In 1997 I was elected as MP for Maidenhead. I was a member of the Shadow Cabinet from 1999 to 2010, and from 2002 to 2003 was the first female Chairman of the Conservative Party. In 2010 I was appointed Home Secretary, and during this time oversaw reductions in crime, reform of the police, and the introduction of the landmark Modern Slavery Act.
Following my election as Leader of the Conservative Party, I became Prime Minister in July 2016. As Prime Minister, I oversaw the largest ever cash boost to the NHS and the largest expansion of mental health services in a generation; launched a 25-Year Environment Plan and introduced legislation to end the UK’s contribution to global warming entirely; published a Modern Industrial Strategy to ensure that the jobs of the future are created across the whole country not just in London; and established the first ever Race Disparity Audit to shine a light on injustices.
Cllr Ruth de Mierre
Mid Sussex District Council
(elected 2015)
I had always been a supporter of my local Association and happy to work where needed, helping and supporting my husband, John, who was a County and District Councillor as well as Association Chairman. When John died suddenly, I wanted to continue the excellent work he’d been doing as a Councillor and for the Party. I stood for election and was elected, in 2015, to Mid Sussex District Council; and I’m now the Cabinet Member for Customer Services.
I am a huge believer in the strength of our communities, and what we can achieve through working together. I am Chair of Haywards Heath Town Team, a Governor at three schools and help to organise both the district-wide STEM Challenge for senior schools and colleges, and the Town’s annual bike ride for local charities. Getting involved, making things happen and helping others is my motivation and why I enjoy being a Councillor. I’m a do-er rather than a talk-er!
Irene Ward MP
for Wallsend (1939-45)
& Tynemouth (1950-74)
Born in 1895 she served constituents of Tyneside for a total of 38 years. She campaigned for widows (her mother was widowed and left impoverished when she was just 5), ex-servicemen and single parents throughout her lifetime. She was at the forefront of campaigns for equal pay and employment rights for women nationwide. She also championed the first woman Hansard reporter who had been refused equal pay to her male colleagues and with other key figures helped the first woman reporter in the parliamentary press gallery be re-instated after losing her job on becoming pregnant.
In addition, Irene Ward campaigned for women to be allowed to work in the House of Commons library. When it was argued women wouldn’t be able to carry the ladders needed to reach the higher shelves, Irene marched through the corridors carrying a ladder – making sure photos ended up in the press, and she won that one too.*
* From The Honourable Ladies, Profiles of Women MPs 1918-1986 edited by Iain Dale and Jacqui Smith.
Katherine Fletcher MP
for South Ribble
(elected 2019)
I was born and raised in Manchester’s Wythenshawe. I’ve worked since I was 14 in a variety of jobs, ultimately paying my way through my science degree at university. In 2014 I was sitting on the sofa shouting at the television and thinking to myself we need a bit more diversity in politics. I gathered together all of the party manifestos and picked the one I liked the most and disagreed with the least. This happened to be the Conservative Party manifesto, so I joined my local party. I thought I would put my hand in the air and see whether the people in the system believed I had something to offer as a potential parliamentary candidate.
Away from the political & business world, I am a qualified Field Guide (Safari Ranger), who has lived and worked in Mpumalanga and Limpopo in South Africa & Mozambique. With my background in science and a deep interest in the environment, I’m passionate about nature and improving existing habitats to benefit wildlife, and us all. I was first elected to represent the wonderful South Ribble in December 2019, and in 2020 was honoured to have been appointed the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Mozambique. In this role I work to strengthen trade and investment relationships with friends on the continent and building mutual opportunities for shared trade. At the beginning of 2021, I was delighted to become Parliamentary Private Secretary to COP26 President Alok Sharma in preparation for COP26 [The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference], which was held in Glasgow.
Cherilyn Mackrory MP
for Truro and Falmouth
(elected 2019)
Becoming an MP was always a long-term ambition of mine. I had been involved in various local campaigns for many years, but with a five-year-old daughter, I didn’t expect I would throw my hat into the ring until she was much older. It was however a personal tragedy that eventually pushed me to put my name forward. I wanted to channel my heartbreak and experience into something positive. I sadly lost a baby quite late on into my pregnancy, and whilst the initial support I received was second to none, there is a point where the care seemed to drop off. I wanted to use this experience to make a real change for families who experience babyloss – which is still a relatively taboo subject.
That is why since being elected to my Truro and Falmouth seat, I took a place on the APPG for Babyloss. I now chair that group and have spoken numerous times on the subject, initiated debates and used my position to raise awareness with the government on issues affecting those who experience babyloss – particularly women. I think that anyone who has had a life changing experience, be that good or bad, can use it as a driving force to help them make real change. I’m so glad I did.
Ji Hyun Park
a member
I began this journey 14 years after I arrived in the UK, having fled North Korea. I had lost family, was a victim of human trafficking, and had been in a labour camp. But the strength that kept me alive was the determination to never lose my family again. I was welcomed in Britain, have learnt about politics and freedom and I pledged that I would repay the British people for welcoming me.
Winston Churchill said that "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen". I am lucky to receive another gift from the British people who taught me that we not only have the right to be happy, but that we also have a duty for the happiness of others – just like us overcoming misfortune, that's why I want to stand up and be a local councillor one day. I want to help others and repay the kindness Britain has shown me.
Laura Evans
Candidate for Parliament
The ability to influence change started my journey into standing as a parliamentary candidate in the 2017 and 2019 elections and being selected as the candidate for the hugely influential role of Greater Manchester Mayor.
I started out by offering to deliver for my local Conservative Association, being totally unaware that I was stepping into the fervent world of politics. I was triggered by a topic that I was passionate about – grammar schools. And standing with the only party that was talking my language. Nominated as a “paper candidate” in a ward held by the Lib Dems for 22 years, I started by digging deep, rolling up my sleeves and helping residents, businesses and community groups. I won and became a councillor for Trafford Met Borough Council between 2011 and 2019.
I soon became a Cabinet Member for Transformation, bringing the hugely successful Manchester Marathon to the borough, which now has 22,000 runners each year and is the largest UK marathon outside of London and the flattest in Europe. We also brought about the award-winning Altrincham Market which gained a Best British High Street award. I missed out in my early years by having hearing and speech issues that seemed to hold me back in the classroom, but in politics it was irrelevant. Politics is one of the arenas that isn’t looking for academic results – it’s looking for passionate community champions and multi taskers for “deeds not words.”
I have an ambition to be an elected member of Parliament so that I can be part of the discussion and the solution, and so I can champion issues that I and many others feel passionate about.
Laura is pictured next to the statue of Emmeline Pankhurst which stands in St Peter’s Square, Manchester.
Florence Horsbrugh MP
for Dundee (1931-45)
& Manchester Moss Side (1950-59)
During WW1 Florence worked in the Ministry of Munitions canteen where she devised a network of travelling kitchens which helped to feed the starving population. Following the war, Dundee Association, having heard her public speaking asked her to be their candidate and she won. The constituency’s first female MP in a city that had not yet elected a female councillor.
During WW2 she organised the evacuation of 1.5million women and children. She was also responsible for the health and sanitation of London’s underground shelters, and she re-structured the British Civil Nursing Reserve. In early 1944, she began the preparatory work on the early NHS, and in 1945 participated in a conference which would create the United Nations. In 1950 she was appointed Minister for Education, the first Conservative female Cabinet Minister.*
* From The Honourable Ladies, Profiles of Women MPs 1918-1986 edited by Iain Dale and Jacqui Smith.
Nickie Aiken MP
for Cities of London and Westminster
(elected 2019)
I have been a member of the Conservative Party since the age of 19, though I never thought about standing for office until I had my first child. I wanted to show her that women can hold public office and make a change. Before entering politics, I had a career in communications. Then, in 2006, I was elected to Westminster City Council, held a number of Cabinet Member roles before becoming Leader in 2017.
I was encouraged to stand for Parliament ahead of the 2019 General Election. Since becoming an MP, I have successfully campaigned on all sorts of issues which affect the everyday lives of my constituents; for example, securing children as officially recognised as victims in domestic abuse households; repealing the 1824 Vagrancy Act, and a pioneering scheme to detect rare diseases in newborn babies.
I champion the rights of women and girls. Recently, I led the Conservative Group at the Council of Europe debate on gender-based violence towards women and girls. I also speak out to break taboos surrounding women’s health. My latest campaign aims to raise awareness around fertility treatment, and encourages employers to sign up to the Fertility Workplace Pledge.
In September 2022, I was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party.
Cllr Laila Cunningham
Westminster Council
(elected 2022)
I am the daughter of immigrants who came here from Egypt in the 1960s to escape an oppressive regime so I grew up in a very political household.
It was under a Conservative government that my parents bought their council home and built a business, something for which I am forever grateful.
My business is a tech start up that connects women working from home to work together. My mission is to help 100 female entrepreneurs a year. Helping women set up businesses is a passion of mine and I work with the APPG For Women in Enterprise. One of the key challenges for women in business is accessing finance and female-led businesses currently receive only 2 percent of Venture Capital money. I am sure we can change that together.
I won my seat in the Westminster council elections in May 2022 – I knocked on over 3000 doors twice or three times! I fostered a strong sense of community around safety, enterprise, and civic dedication. Since being elected I have reached out to residents who are interested in getting involved with the Safer Neighbourhoods Team and am working closely with the police. I am starting to hold joint surgeries with the Safer Neighbourhoods Team and am encouraging active engagement from the community. As a former CPS lawyer, I enjoy working with the police and am acutely aware of the constraints they face in London under Sadiq Khan.
Pamela Hall
Conservative Women’s Organisation
I am a Senior HR consultant and professionally I support more women into public life. I’ve been a member of the Party for over 20 years and was asked by my Association Chairman to stand for council. I won the seat and was a local councillor for 12 years working hard to help residents in my ward. Being a councillor was so fulfilling – it gives you a unique opportunity to shape the communities we live in, and it was an experience I thoroughly enjoyed. Since stepping down from the council, I have been able to become more involved with the CWO, and am now its National Chair. The Conservative Women’s Organisation exists to to support more women getting into public life, whether that’s the voluntary party, public office or public appointments. We help brilliant women in the party, up and down the country, through a variety of development courses, conferences and events. They bring people together and are a campaigning force to support candidates across the country. I’ve also been proud to serve in other Party roles including on Area and Regional Teams and was President of the National Convention Chairing the Party’s 2019 Conference.
Maria Caulfield MP
for Lewes
(elected 2015)
I joined the Conservative party after my experience of working in the NHS under the last Labour Government with their target driven approach, which looked good on paper but in reality did little to improve patient care. It was when Labour tried to close one of our local hospitals, The Princess Royal in Haywards Heath, that finally got me involved in the party where the local Conservatives were leading the campaign to save the PRH.
Having got the political bug I then stood to be a local councillor and won, a former Labour seat on Brighton & Hove City Council in 2007 with a majority of 1. Being a councillor I learnt what a difference local politicians can make to their community and so in 2015 I stood and won the neighbouring parliamentary seat of Lewes in the General Election which I won from Liberal Democrat, Norman Baker, after an 18 year tenure.
During my time in Parliament I have continued to work as a nurse as I have not only enjoyed it but has given me a valuable insight into how things are on the ground which was particularly useful during the covid pandemic.
Since becoming an MP I have had a number of roles from being the Vice Chair for Women of the Conservative Party through to an Assistant Government Whip, focusing on the work of DCMS and International Trade. I would encourage anyone to stand to represent their community, it is a very demanding role but equally rewarding.
There is no better time to get started than now.
We want to see more Conservative women at every level of the Party and Government. So, either click here to find out about upcoming sessions or fill in the form below to tell us how you want to get involved – we are here to help you do it: