Dr Marion Phillips was elected as MP for Sunderland in 1929, one of only nine women who were elected in that year. The 1929 general election was the first in which women had equal voting rights to men. It was dismissively referred to as the ‘Flapper Election’, ‘flapper’ being the derogatory name given to young women who were embracing the freedoms of the jazz age. Dr Phillips was the first female MP for Sunderland. You can read more about her and her legacy in this article by Dr Sarah Hellawell.