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Early Political Career

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Polling cards from Jennie Lee's election campaigns in 1929 and 1931.
Image : Jennie Lee polling cards
Date: 1931
Following her election as MP of North Lanark, Jennie Lee is photographed walking to the House of Commons, flanked by fellow ILP (Independent Labour Party) members James Maxton on her right, and John Beckett on her left.
Image : Jennie Lee walking to the House of Commons in 1929
Date: 1929

Jennie’s first election as a candidate on 21 March 1929 was a by-election following the death of North Lanark’s Tory MP, Sir Alexander Sprot. She was adopted as the Independent Labour Party candidate (the ILP had been affiliated with the Labour Party since 1906).

Jennie campaigned hard to win the votes of the constituency. Her hard work paid off. Her victory came when she won 57% of the vote with a 6,578 majority over the Tory candidate.

Jenny entered the House of Commons as one of the few women MPs at that time, and at 24 she was the youngest MP in the House. This article titled "An MP at twenty four" was written about Jennie for American readers in 1931 to publicise a lecture tour she gave in the USA. 

The archive collection contains several polling cards and election campaign documents for Jennie, including the two polling cards on this page, which are from 1929 and 1931, and clearly show how young Jennie was at the time. 

The photograph of Jennie on her way to be introduced to the House of Commons as a new MP was taken in April 1929. She is flanked by fellow ILP (Independent Labour Party) members James Maxton on her right, and John Beckett on her left.

Early Political Career (page 2 of 3)