Margaret Beckett the hassle, the scrutiny from [the press]. That’s a world that was beyond him until he was elected leader". Margaret Beckett Dame Margaret Mary Beckett (; born 15 January 1943) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Derby South since 1983. She was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party under John Smith from 1992 to 1994, and briefly served as Leader of the Labour Party after Smith died suddenly. She later served in the Cabinet under Prime Minister Tony Blair in a number of roles, becoming Britain's first female Foreign Secretary
Female Political Union of the Working Classes Female Political Union of the Working Classes The Female Political Union of the Working Classes was established in 1833 by Mary Fildes and Mrs Broadhurst. The organisation sprang from the wider labour movements of the early 19th century, influenced by Chartism and campaigns for women's enfranchisement. Fildes, who had been present at the Peterloo Massacre, had previously been president of the Manchester-based Society of Female Reformers (itself a response to Blackburn Female Reform Society). Little is currently known of the workings of many of these societies, but they are evidence of a highly organised and committed group of working class