Blair Babe

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The 101 female Members of Parliament elected in Labour's landslide general election victory in 1997 were popularly known as Blair Babes (or Blair's Babes).^[1] Images from a photocall, with the female Labour MPs standing alongside new Prime Minister Tony Blair on the steps of Church House in Westminster on Friday 2 May 1997, the day after the election, were widely publicised.^[2] The term has been condemned by Polly Toynbee as a "casual, misogynist tag".^[3]

The 1997 general election saw more women elected to the British House of Commons than ever - 120 - and exactly double the 60 elected at the 1992 UK general election. Most of these women MPs were Labour Party politicians. There were also 13 Conservatives, three Liberal Democrats, and three from other parties (including Betty Boothroyd, who by convention was elected unopposed in 1997 as sitting Speaker of the House of Commons, without party affiliation, although she was previously a Labour politician).

Expectations were high that the substantial increase in female representation in the House of Commons would lead to changes in the style and conduct of legislative business. However, many of the new female MPs grew disillusioned with the lifestyle of an MP, and 10 either chose not to stand or lost their seats in the 2001 UK general election. Despite two female MPs winning by-elections between 1997 and 2001, and other women being elected, the number of female MPs fell to 118 at the 2001 UK general election. The number increased to 127 after the 2005 UK general election.

[edit] List of Blair babes

#	Name	Constituency	First elected	Lost seat	Notes
1.	Diane Abbott	Hackney North and Stoke Newington	1987
2.	Irene Adams	Paisley North	1990	2005	Life peer
3.	Janet Anderson	Rossendale and Darwen	1992
4.	Hilary Armstrong	North West Durham	1987		Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Former Chief Whip.
5.	Candy Atherton	Falmouth and Camborne	1997	2005
6.	Charlotte Atkins	Staffordshire Moorlands	1997
7.	Margaret Beckett	Derby South	1983		Previously MP for Lincoln (1974–9). Foreign Secretary.
8.	Anne Begg	Aberdeen South	1997
9.	Liz Blackman	Erewash	1997
10.	Hazel Blears	Salford	1997		Minister without portfolio; Labour party chairman.
11.	Helen Brinton	Peterborough	1997	2005
12.	Karen Buck	Regent's Park and Kensington North	1997		Former minister.
13.	Christine Butler	Castle Point	1997	2001
14.	Anne Campbell	Cambridge	1997	2005
15.	Judith Church	Dagenham	1994	2001
16.	Lynda Clark	Edinburgh Pentlands	1997		Advocate General for Scotland; Life peer (2005); judge.
17.	Ann Clwyd	Cynon Valley	1984
18.	Ann Coffey	Stockport	1992
19.	Yvette Cooper	Pontefract and Castleford	1997		Minister; wife of Ed Balls
20.	Jean Corston	Bristol East	1992	2005	Life peer (2005).
21.	Ann Cryer	Keighley	1997
22.	Claire Curtis-Thomas	Crosby	1997
23.	Valerie Davey	Bristol West	1997	2005
24.	Janet Dean	Burton	1997
25.	Julia Drown	South Swindon	1997	2005
26.	Gwyneth Dunwoody	Crewe/Crewe and Nantwich	1974		Previously MP for Exeter (1966–70).
27.	Angela Eagle	Wallasey	1992		Sister of Maria Eagle. Minister until 2002.
28.	Maria Eagle	Liverpool Garston	1997		Sister of Angela Eagle. Minister.
29.	Louise Ellman	Liverpool Riverside	1997
30.	Lorna Fitzsimons	Rochdale	1997	2005
31.	Caroline Flint	Don Valley	1997		Minister
32.	Barbara Follett	Stevenage	1997		Married to Ken Follett.
33.	Maria Fyfe	Glasgow Maryhill	1987	2001
34.	Linda Gilroy	Plymouth Sutton	1997
35.	Llin Golding	Newcastle-under-Lyme	1986	2001	Life peer.
36.	Eileen Gordon	Romford	1997	2001
37.	Jane Griffiths	Reading East	1997	2004	Deselected; bankrupt in 2005.
38	Harriet Harman	Camberwell and Peckham	1992		Minister.
39.	Sylvia Heal	Halesowen and Rowley Regis	1997		Deputy Speaker.
40.	Patricia Hewitt	Leicester West	1997		Secretary of State.
41.	Margaret Hodge	Barking	1994		Minister.
42.	Kate Hoey	Vauxhall	1989		Former minister.
43.	Beverley Hughes	Stretford and Urmston	1997		Minister.
44.	Joan Humble	Blackpool North and Fleetwood	1997
45.	Glenda Jackson	Hampstead and Highgate	1992
46.	Helen Jackson	Sheffield Hillsborough	1992	2005
47.	Melanie Johnson	Welwyn Hatfield	1997	2005
48.	Fiona Jones	Newark	1997	2001	Died in January 2007.
49.	Helen Jones	Warrington North	1997
50.	Jenny Jones	Wolverhampton South West	1997	2001
51.	Lynne Jones	Birmingham Selly Oak	1992
52.	Tessa Jowell	Dulwich and West Norwood	1992		Secretary of State.
53.	Sally Keeble	Northampton North	1997
54.	Ann Keen	Brentford and Isleworth	1997		PPS to Gordon Brown.
55.	Ruth Kelly	Bolton West	1997		Secretary of State.
56.	Jane Kennedy	Liverpool, Wavertree	1997		Previously MP for Liverpool Broadgreen (1992–7). Minister to 2006.
57.	Oona King	Bethnal Green and Bow	1997	2005	Lost seat to George Galloway.
58.	Tess Kingham	Gloucester	1997	2001
59.	Jackie Lawrence	Preseli Pembrokeshire	1997	2005	PPS to Jacqui Smith.
60.	Helen Liddell	Airdrie and Shotts	1997	2005	Previously MP for Monklands East (1994–7). British High Commissioner in Australia.
61.	Fiona MacTaggart	Slough	1997		Former minister.
62.	Alice Mahon	Halifax	1987	2005
63.	Judy Mallaber	Amber Valley	1997
64.	Christine McCafferty	Calder Valley	1997
65.	Siobhain McDonagh	Mitcham and Morden	1997		PPS to John Reid.
66.	Anne McGuire	Stirling	1997		Minister.
67.	Shona McIsaac	Cleethorpes	1997		PPS to Caroline Flint.
68.	Rosemary McKenna	Cumbernauld and Kilsyth	1997	2005	MP for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East from 2005.
69.	Gillian Merron	Lincoln	1997		Minister. Former whip.
70.	Laura Moffatt	Crawley	1997		PPS to Alan Johnson. Former PPS to Lord Irvine and Lord Falconer.
71.	Margaret Moran	Luton South	1997		Former PPS to Mo Mowlam.
72.	Julie Morgan	Cardiff North	1997		Married to Rhodri Morgan.
73.	Estelle Morris	Birmingham Yardley	1992	2005	Former Secretary of State. Life peer (2005).
74.	Kali Mountford	Colne Valley	1997		PPS to Des Browne.
75.	Mo Mowlam	Redcar	1987	2001	Died in August 2005. Former Secretary of State.
76.	Diana Organ	Forest of Dean	1997	2005
77.	Sandra Osborne	Ayr	1997
78.	Linda Perham	Ilford North	1997	2005
79.	Bridget Prentice	Lewisham East	1992		Minister.
80.	Dawn Primarolo	Bristol South	1987		Paymaster General
81.	Joyce Quin	Gateshead East and Washington West	1997	2001	Life peer.
82.	Barbara Roche	Hornsey and Wood Green	1992	2005
83.	Joan Ruddock	Lewisham Deptford	1987		Former minister. Partner of Frank Doran.
84.	Christine Russell	City of Chester	1997		PPS to Beverley Hughes.
85.	Joan Ryan	Enfield North	1997		Minister.
86.	Debra Shipley	Stourbridge	1997	2005	Stood down prior to 2005 General Election due to ill health. Replaced by Lynda Waltho.
87.	Clare Short	Birmingham Ladywood	1983		Former Secretary of State.
88.	Angela Smith	Basildon	1997		Minister.
89.	Geraldine Smith	Morecambe and Lunesdale	1997
90.	Jacqui Smith	Redditch	1997		Chief Whip.
91.	Helen Southworth	Warrington South	1997
92.	Rachel Squire	Dunfermline West	1992	2006	Died in January 2006.
93.	Phyllis Starkey	Milton Keynes	1997
94.	Gisela Stuart	Birmingham Edgbaston	1997		Former minister.
95.	Ann Taylor	Bolton West	1974	2005	Former minister. Life peer (2005).
96.	Dari Taylor	Stockton South	1997
97.	Joan Walley	Stoke-on-Trent North	1987
98.	Claire Ward	Watford	1997		Former Baby of the House. Whip.
99.	Betty Williams	Conwy	1997
100.	Rosie Winterton	Doncaster Central	1997		Minister.
101.	Audrey Wise	Coventry South West	1987	2000	Previously MP for Preston (1974–9).