Judith Hart 1924-1991

Rt Hon Dame Judith Hart DBE, later Baroness Hart of South Lanark

Longest serving female MP

Became Labour MP for Lanark in 1959. She was joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary for State for Scotland 1964–66, Minister of State for Commonwealth Affairs 1966–67, and Minister of Social Security 1967–68. She entered the cabinet in 1968 as Paymaster General and became Minister of Overseas Development in 1969, but was no longer a member of the cabinet. In March 1974 she again became Minister of Overseas Development.

She was made a Dame in 1979 and a life peer in 1988

Lanark 1959 - 1979
Clydesdale 1979 – 1987

Helen Riddell – 1st woman secretary of State