This article lists notable achievements of women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBT people in British politics.
Women over 30 granted the right to vote: 1918 Women granted the right to vote on the same terms as men: 1928 First female MPs: First female cabinet minister First female Catholic MPs First female member of the House of Lords First female Commons Government Whip First female Lords Government Whip First female Prime Minister First female foreign secretary First female home secretary First female leader of the House of Lords First female Speaker of the House of Commons First female leader of the House of Commons First female First Minister of Scotland First female Justice secretary and Lord High Chancellor First female Law Lord First female speaker in the House of Lords First female Lord Spiritual First female ethnic minority member of the Senedd First female ethnic minority directly elected mayor in England First female Chancellor First blind MP First blind member of the House of Lords First blind Cabinet member First blind MSP First female blind MP (and first black blind MP) First MP in a wheelchair First female MP in a wheelchair First black MPs: First black woman MP First black cabinet member First black female Cabinet member First elected black female minister First elected black Secretary of State First black Member of the Welsh Assembly First black Lord Mayor of London First black woman directly elected mayor First Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly of Chinese origin First British MP of Chinese origin First female British MP of Chinese origin First Czech-born MP First MP of Polish Jewish descent First Polish-born MP Note: South Asians include those of Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Nepalese or Bangladeshi ancestry First South Asian MP First South Asian Cabinet member Javid, who is of Pakistani descent, was succeeded as Chancellor of the Exchequer by Rishi Sunak, who is of Indian descent.
This was the first time that someone from an ethnic minority had been succeeded in one of the Great Offices of State by another person from that category.
[15] First South Asian Member of the Welsh Assembly First South Asian Member of the Scottish Parliament First South Asian minister in the Scottish Government First South Asian first minister of Scotland First female South Asian MP First MP of Burmese descent First South Asian Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak is the first person of colour to hold the office of prime minister First Jewish Prime Minister Second Jewish MP First female Jewish MP First Jewish Speaker of the House of Commons First Muslim MP First female Muslim MPs First hijab-wearing Muslim MP First Muslim Member of the Scottish Parliament First Muslim minister in the Scottish Government First Muslim First Minister of Scotland First Hindu MP First Hindu cabinet minister First Hindu Prime Minister First Sikh MP First female Sikh MP First turban-wearing Sikh MP First female Sikh council leader First Buddhist MP First Zoroastrian MP First openly lesbian MP: Maureen Colquhoun, Labour MP for Northampton North, 1974-79 (outed before coming out) First openly gay MP (and first openly gay Cabinet minister): Chris Smith, Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury, from 1983 to 2005 and National Heritage/Culture secretary, 1997-2001[26] First openly gay Member of the House of Lords: Waheed Alli, Baron Alli, Labour Member of the House of Lords, 1998–present (came out in 1999) First openly bisexual MP: Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrat MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, 1983–2015 (outed before coming out, came out in 2006) First openly transgender MP: Jamie Wallis, Conservative MP for Bridgend, 2019–24 (came out in March 2022) First openly transgender MEP: Nikki Sinclaire, United Kingdom Independence Party (later Independent) MEP for the West Midlands from 2009 – 2014.
[27] First openly lesbian Member of the House of Lords: Deborah Stedman-Scott, Baroness Stedman-Scott, Conservative Member of the House of Lords, 2010–present First openly lesbian Cabinet minister: Justine Greening, Secretary of State for International Development, 2012–16 (came out in 2016) First openly pansexual MP: Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, from 2017–present (came out in 2020) First openly gay member of the Northern Ireland Assembly: