In this episode of the Since Attlee & Churchill Summer Book Club, Lee and Richard are joined by Nan Sloane, author of 'Margaret Bondfield: The Life and Times of Britain’s First Female Cabinet Minister', to discuss the extraordinary life and career of one of the pioneers of the Labour movement. Bondfield was the first woman to speak from the despatch box in the House of Commons, the first woman Privy Counsellor and the first woman Cabinet Minister. But her life is much more than a series of remarkable firsts. In this episode, Lee, Richard and Nan look at Bondfield's difficult childhood and early working life through to her rise through the trade union movement, as well as her Christian faith and likely lesbianism. Finally, they explore her controversial time as Minister of Labour during the economic crisis of 1929–31, her relationship with Ramsay MacDonald, and the reasons why her reputation subsequently faded from view.
'Margaret Bondfield: The Life and Times of Britain’s First Female Cabinet Minister' by Nan Sloane is available here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16406/9781350513655
Lee’s book, ‘Coronations & Defenestrations: Choosing (and losing) Tory Leaders’, is now available. Save 30% by using the code AGENDA30 on IndiePubs: https://indiepubs.co.uk/products/coronations-and-defenestrations-1760081414340
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