In their own words: the working lives of women MPs
Emmeline Ledgerwood
- Regions:
- South East, London
- Notice Period:
- Regular (more than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Professional
- Fee:
- Paid: £90 plus travel expenses
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 26th October 2026
- Tagged:
- Womens History | Westminster | Members Of Parliament | Oral History
- When did you first realise that you wanted to be an MP?
- How did you go about getting elected?
- What was it like to turn up on your first day in the job at one of the most iconic, historic buildings in the world?
- How did you learn your way around the processes and procedures of Parliament?
- Did it matter what you wore to work?
- What do you consider to be your lasting achievements from your time as a parliamentarian?
These are just some of the topics that are covered in interviews recorded for the History of Parliament's oral history project. Since the project began in 2012, more than 250 former MPs have reflected at length about their experiences of working life at Westminster, including 40 or so women. As an interviewer on the project, I conducted some of those interviews myself.
Using audio clips from the project interviews, I use these women's own words to tell the story of what an everyday life in politics means, from early election campaigns to their careers at Westminster, showing us the insiders' perspective of working life at the heart of the UK's democracy.
Views: 20 | Enquiries: 0About Emmeline Ledgerwood
I'm a historian with a PhD in twentieth-century British history. As a life story interviewer, I've recorded 70 in-depth interviews with scientists, politicians and other experts in their field for the British Library's sound archive. I also write features for newspapers and magazines, with recent items appearing in 'History Today' and 'Nature Career'.
An engaging, confident and clear speaker, my talks are richly illustrated and based on rigorous historical research. I specialise in telling the unknown stories of men and women whose lived experiences illuminate broader themes in twentieth-century history. I tend to find myself writing or speaking about people who worked in scientific research, government or specialist libraries. For example, my current research explores how librarians and civil servants in Cold War Britain helped British scientists understand Russian science.
Each of my talks is accompanied by a Powerpoint presentation. I can provide laptop, projector and speaker if necessary. I live in Surrey and usually travel up to an hour to deliver a talk in person. However I am very happy to consider travelling further afield or to deliver a talk online.
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