Irene Ward

Irene Ward (born February 23, 1895, London, England—died April 26, 1980, London) was a British politician who served as a Conservative member of the British Parliament for 38 years.

During her tenure, Ward was a champion of old-age pensioners and the nursing services and upheld the interests of the shipbuilding and fishing industries in northeast England. She entered the House of Commons in 1931 as member for Wallsend-on-Tyne. In the 1930s she was in Britain’s delegation to the League of Nations, and during World War II she served in the Ministry of Labour. After the war she secured the passage of bills in Parliament to improve the lot of the elderly in institutions and demanded better pay and conditions for nurses and midwives. She was defeated in 1945, but she returned in 1950 for Tynemouth, which she represented until her elevation to the House of Lords in 1974. When she left the House of Commons, Ward was the longest serving female member in the history of the legislative chamber. She was created Dame of the British Empire in 1955 and Companion of Honour in 1973.