Celebrating 100 years of women voting with 100 women of Bassetlaw

It was a pleasure to welcome 100 women from Bassetlaw to Parliament to celebrate 100 years since women first got the vote, writes Bassetlaw MP John Mann.
John Mann MPJohn Mann MP
John Mann MP

The women were first given an in-depth tour of the Houses of Parliament, where they were able to see the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Royal Gallery.

They were also shown the statue of Lucius Clary, 2nd Viscount Falkland, to which a group of suffragettes chained themselves in April 1909.

The Speaker, John Bercow, was very generous in letting us hold a reception in his State Rooms where we heard guest speakers, Laura Kuenssberg, BBC political editor and Rose Hudson-Wilkin QHC, the Queen’s Chaplain.

We were also joined by Yvette Cooper MP, Retford local celebrity Rev Kate Bottley and Alice Jefferies, a senior associate at law firm Clifford Chance.

I hope that all the women who attended the day enjoyed themselves and feel inspired to keep up the good fight for women’s equality.

I was made aware this week that Lyme disease is one of the fastest spreading diseases in the UK and can be caught anywhere from urban parks to back gardens.

Lyme disease is caused by tick bites and can be hard to diagnose as tick bites are normally painless and very small, so are easily missed.

Left undiagnosed or under-treated or if treatment fails, it can be debilitating and leave people chronically ill and disabled.

If you see an embedded tick after you have been outside, remove it as quickly as possible.

If you become unwell or notice a rash, see your GP immediately and mention your concerns about Lyme disease.

The summer parliamentary recess does not mean that I get a long holiday and whilst I will be taking some short breaks with my family I will be based in Bassetlaw for most of the summer.

This means that I will have time to meet with local community groups and campaigners to discuss their ideas and how I can support them as their MP.

If you want a meeting with me, please email [email protected]