Women in Politics

Recent figures have shown that female representation in the House of Commons is now at an all-time high, with women making up over a third of the house. However, it is important that this is replicated at every level of society in both formal and informal political and civil settings. Women’s representation and leadership in decision-making bodies contributes to more inclusive and representative laws, rulings and policies.

BGS students are encouraged to actively engage in the political environment to understand the challenges of our ever-changing world. Our values encourage our students to find and use their voices, helping to develop a new generation of politically minded individuals.

Cllr Amanda Marlow

(née Ward, BHS 1988) and Cllr Alice Jenkins (née Bramall, DAHS 2007)

Cllr Amanda Marlow (AM), is the current Mayor of Milton Keynes (20222023) and the first woman in post since 2012. Cllr Alice Jenkins (AJ) was always interested in Politics and went on to study Politics at Durham University.

Amanda and Alice visited BGS to talk to our Sixth Form.

How did you get into the world of politics?

AM: I got into politics quite accidentally. The council-run day nursery that my boys attended was told that they were under threat of closure. There were several other day nurseries in the same boat. The nursery was in an older part of Milton Keynes, and it was in a relatively deprived area. I had to do something to stop it, so whilst everyone else was collecting signatures for a petition I went along to a council meeting and stood up and made a speech. My speech gained the attention of a group of councillors, and they supported me with our campaign to save the nurseries. It would be another ten years before I decided to stand for political office. The nurseries survived and are still running today.

We are proud that a number of our alumnae are committed to public duty, shaping the political scene, here in the UK and abroad, from local councillors to central government. These include Jo Churchill (née Wuidart, DAHS 1982) who has been the MP for Bury St Edmunds since 2015. Always a supporter of local causes, she began her political journey 10 years ago by becoming a County Councillor at Lincolnshire County Council. Before standing for national election, she has held roles at the Department of Health and Social Care and DEFRA. Since September 2022, Jo has been serving as the Vice-Chamberlain of the Household and a Government Whip.

The Journal spoke to a range of our political alumnae about their experiences and inspirations.

AJ: In my last year of university my Dad told me it was time to get a job and to do something that didn’t feel like one. I started helping the local MP with his comms, then he offered me a job in Parliament. I loved that you were able to help people and he asked me if I’d like to do it myself and to stand as a councillor. I was then asked to stand for Parliament, which was a real eye opener.

Did you have any political idols growing up?

AM: My parents were posted abroad while I was growing up and with that, I saw a lot of political change in the countries where we lived. Former Republic of Yugoslavia was ruled by Marshal Tito who had been in power for 27 years until his death. We also lived in India, and while we were there the Prime Minister was Indira Gandhi who was India’s first and so far, only female prime minister. We were there when Mrs Gandhi was assassinated; it was a frightening time. These two examples of politics showed me that personally, you are never far from politics, and whilst they certainly were not my political idols, they had a huge impact in the countries where they governed.

What does your current role entail?

AM: My role is a very busy one. I am officially the First Citizen of Milton Keynes which means that I represent Milton Keynes in a civic capacity, be it at military events such as Armistice or at large occasions such as the recent

Accession Proclamation ceremony in Buckinghamshire as the representative of the city of Milton Keynes. I meet an awful lot of people and have made some incredible connections this year that have helped those in either the charitable sector or the business community of Milton Keynes.

AJ: I’m a mum of three kids under six, am a local ward councillor in MK and run my own communications business, so there is a lot of juggling.

I spend a lot of time speaking to people, walking around my ward capturing issues that I can raise and responding to emails. There are also a lot of meetings at council, which run late in to the night.

What has been your most challenging role so far?

AM: Being a mother, without doubt. I have learned more about myself, what I am capable of and how life challenges you and gives you the tools to be an advocate for your child as a mother than any role I had previously had.

AJ : For the twelve years I’ve been a councillor and I’ve served in the cabinet, chaired the Health and Adult Social Care Committee and been Deputy Leader of my political group, managing 22 councillors. Probably the most challenging period of time though was while I sat on a working group of six councillors, supporting the council’s management during Covid. There were a lot of really difficult conversations that had to take place.

What has been your career highlight to date?

AM: Being Mayor of Milton Keynes. In my year as mayor, Milton Keynes has become a city - something that I am incredibly proud to have been a part of. Milton Keynes held a parade for HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations which was noisy, colourful, and joyful kicking off a weekend of jubilee activities in our city. The Women’s Euros coming to Milton Keynes was incredible and the enthusiasm for women’s football was infectious. I hadn’t really followed much women’s football until then, but I am a huge fan now. They play with skill, passion, and fairness. Meeting England Ladies Captain Leah Williamson was a great honour, especially as I presented her with the Freedom of the City for sporting achievements. The sad death of HM The Queen was an unprecedented event in our short history, as Milton Keynes was a product of the modern Elizabethan age. We were very lucky to receive a visit in February by HM The King to officially confer City Status onto Milton Keynes, I played a key part in both organising and accompanying The King on his visit to Milton Keynes. I certainly won’t forget anything from my Mayoral year.

AJ: I am very lucky to have my own successful business as well as being a councillor. There have been lots of working in the Government Equalities Office on celebrations for the women’s suffrage centenary. I went for six months and so far I have stayed for over five years, moving on to work on policy in a few different areas. Since joining the civil service I’ve realised it’s an excellent way to live out your values; you can make real world change through the work you do.

Did you have any political idols growing up?

Ros Ball (BHS 1996), Journalist and Policy Maker

Ros has worked for the BBC on current affairs and political programming She is a policy maker at the Government Equalities Office and an author of The Gender Agenda and Women Who Won.

Why did you pursue a career in working in government?

To be perfectly honest I didn’t ever pursue it, it just happened. I spent 15 years working at the BBC, 12 of those were at the BBC in Westminster where I got up close to politics and became pretty obsessed with it. Politics affects every single area of our lives and I loved seeing how it played out every day.

In 2017, I was offered a secondment

I’m sure going to an all girls’ school was a factor in my interest in feminism and working in roles that promote equality for women and girls. I’ve got a really overdeveloped sense of fairness and at school I generally tried to get along with everyone. I didn’t always succeed, but there can be a solidarity among girls that I enjoyed being part of.

What has been your most challenging role so far?

I have a book coming out this year called Women Who Won which profiles 70 women from around the world who changed politics. It includes the first women in the world to be a Prime Minister or President. Writing a book about politics, while working in the current very turbulent political world, as well as being a mother, was really tough. For a while I was working seven days a highs and lows! That said, I’ll never forget the night I stood for parliament in Liverpool, attended the count there and then drove down to MK in time for my council seat declaration.

Why are women so important in politics?

AM: Simply because we bring a different perspective, through lived experiences whether it be as a working woman or as a mother or carer. Women have opinions and a voice that will be heard. Women sacrificed their lives to bring us the vote. I am just conscious that I should honour their sacrifice by being the best of me and representing my residents’ needs.

AJ: Balance, life experience, representation. If you want policies that represent half of the population, that half of the population need to be involved in formulating them.

week. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved but it was definitely a challenge. I now work 3.5 days a week in my main job, saving one day for writing and one for a horticulture course. I’m lucky to be able to get this balance in my life and I recommend it as a great thing to work towards for anyone.

What has been your career highlight to date?

Publishing my first book, The Gender Agenda in 2017, a two-year diary of the way the world treats my daughter and son differently, remains one of my proudest achievements. It led to so many brilliant experiences, one of which was moving to work in the civil service on gender equality policy. In 2018 I was part of the team that worked to erect the first statue of a woman in Parliament Square. The statue of women’s suffrage campaigner Millicent Fawcett was unveiled by the Prime Minister, the Mayor of London and some London school children on 24 April 2018 and I was there at the front.

Why are women so important in politics?

During the pandemic there was a lot of speculation about why countries that were led by women might have a more successful approach to dealing with the virus. My take on this is that countries that have women leaders are likely to have a much more diverse talent pool. Diversity of thought is vital in every institution and system that we have, whether that be in business, culture, parliament, everywhere. When you have a variety of voices evidence shows that you escape group-think, you are more

Why did you pursue a career in working in politics? Was there anything that inspired you at school?

Cllr Shanika Mahendran (BGS 2015)

Shanika studied the International Baccalaureate Diploma at BGS, before embarking on an undergraduate degree in Art History with Journalism. She worked in political communications followed by an MSc in Sustainable Cities from King’s College London, during which time she was elected to represent Loughton & Shenley ward on Milton Keynes City Council.

I sort of fell into a career in politics. I was at a point where I wasn’t sure what to do next, and I started volunteering with my local Labour Party. Once I saw the huge difference that local politics can make to our communities and to people’s lives on an everyday basis, I began working towards elected office, so I could be in a position to help even more people.

Did you have any political idols growing up?

I always say that when I was growing up, I didn’t see many politicians who looked like me, as a young mixed-race woman. I think that’s a huge barrier to diverse communities getting involved in politics. Now things are slowly changing, and a personal inspiration of mine is Lisa Nandy. We aren’t all the way there, and successful and can achieve more. Do please read Women Who Won for much much more on why women in politics are so important! we need more brilliant young women to get involved in politics!

What has been your most challenging role so far?

I was appointed Chair of Planning Committee in Autumn of 2022, and this was an enormous step up, as it is a role that comes with a lot of responsibility. There was definitely a degree of surprise and doubt from some about giving it to a young female councillor. Despite this, I had confidence that I could do it well, and I have really enjoyed it. I am still learning but acknowledging that you don’t always have to be perfect is helpful.

What has been your career highlight to date?

At the national Labour Local Government Conference earlier this year, I was invited to give a speech introducing the keynote speaker, Lisa Nandy MP. As I mentioned before, she is a personal hero of mine, so that was a very special moment.

Francesca Hill (BHS 2009)

Policy Maker

Francesca has a MA Cantab Hons Management and Modern Languages from the University of Cambridge. Francesca was the Cambridge Union President in 2011. She joined the Civil Service European Fast Stream and has worked in the Foreign & Commonwealth

Office, the Treasury and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Why did you pursue a career in working in government? Was there anything that inspired you at school?

At school, an interest in current affairs led me to debating, which I continued at university. I never wanted to be a politician myself, but I realised at the Cambridge Union that I was intrigued by the behind-the-scenes work of policy development and international relations.

What does your current role entail?

I’m designing new rules for big tech firms at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The legislation, to be debated in parliament this year, will boost competition and ensure consumers are treated fairly when they use major platforms.

What has been your most challenging role so far? What has been your career highlight to date?

Both the greatest challenge and the biggest highlight was working in the negotiating taskforce for our FTA with the EU - challenging because it was Covid, we worked through the weekends and I’d spent some very happy years in Brussels; a highlight because it was also a unique and historic experience.

Why are women so important in politics?

For the same reason all underrepresented groups are important when setting the priorities and plans for this country - because a wider set of experiences gives broader perspective on what UK citizens today need from their government.