Lucy Annie Middleton (1894-1983)
Elected Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton in July 1945, in succession to Nancy Astor, she was one of only 24 women elected to the Commons that year. She retained the seat until 1951, when succeeded by Jakie Astor. She was an influential national figure, with her husband being the General Secretary of the Party, but she also played a significant role in the post-war rebuilding of Plymouth. A trained teacher, she was also very focused on issues relating to the social and economic welfare of children and women, and also worked for their better legal protection. Even after narrowly losing her seat in 1951, by 730 votes, she remained the Labour candidate for Plymouth until 1956, and even afterwards remained interested in Plymouth.