Councillor Anne Glendinning : Cumbria County Council

I’ve always been a socialist and was involved with supporting and promoting the Labour Party. Before I knew it I was being asked to stand as a councillor. It gets into your blood after a while, but the main driving force is a need to help other people.

Who is your female role model and why?

Christabel Pankhurst. She’s not as well known as her sister Emmeline, but was a key figure in the suffragette movement. She went to jail for her cause, went on hunger strike and earned the nickname ‘Queen of the Mob’ – a sure sign that she was getting up the right people’s noses.

Why is it important to have women councillors?

Women account for over 50% of the population and it’s important that representative bodies should be precisely that – representative. We need more women councillors, more councillors from ethnic minorities and more young councillors too.

100 years on what are the battles still to be fought?

A lot has changed for the better already. There was a time when any female councillors would be automatically expected to deal with things like education and social services rather than weighty financial issues. I’m sometimes asked by fellow members ‘What does your husband think of you being a councillor?’ to which I always reply ‘Well, what does your wife think of you being one?’. I think some our council meeting times could be looked at to be a little more ‘mum-friendly’ so they’re not clashing with school picking up time. Then we might see some more young women becoming councillors.