The great significance of the meeting held tonight in the Queen’s Hall by the National Council of Women and the National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship was this, that for the first time leading men of all the political parties declared in unison their belief that more women were needed in parliament.
The Premier was unable to keep his conditional promise to be present, but Mrs Lloyd George read a letter from him. He wrote: Women’s duty to the state demands that they shall not only exert the franchise on all occasions, but shall also actively engage in Imperial and local government in which many and great questions of public policy are their peculiar and special concern. Your meeting is called specially to advocate the need for women in parliament. The movement has my utmost best wishes, for so far the only woman member who sits in the House of Commons is one of my supporters. (Laughter and cheers.)
“I hope and believe that Lady Astor is the first of a noble band of women representing every grade and class who will endow the House with their presence and their service to the State with the great qualities of sympathy and enthusiasm.”
