Constance Markievicz

The first woman elected to the House of Commons, for Dublin St Patrick's in December 1918, Markievicz never took her seat: as a Sinn Féin member she refused to swear allegiance, and she was in Holloway prison when elected. She instead became Minister for Labour in the first Dáil, one of the first women cabinet ministers in Europe. Her election proved that the Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act of 1918 worked, and her refusal is a reminder that Westminster representation was itself contested.