Barbara Ayrton-Gould

Barbara Bodichon Ayrton-Gould (née Ayrton; 3 April 1886 – 14 October 1950) was a British Labour Party politician, suffragist and pacifist, who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hendon North from 1945 to 1950. She was a member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) and co-founded the United Suffragists, was a member of the National Peace Council (NPC) and was the honorary secretary of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).

Background and family life Ayrton-Gould was born on 3 April 1886 in Kensington, London, the daughter of prominent electrical engineers and inventors Hertha Ayrton and William Edward Ayrton.

Ayrton-Gould was educated at Notting Hill High School, then studied a degree in chemistry and physics

Ayrton-Gould married the writer Gerald Gould (1885–1936), The artist and writer Michael Ayrton (1921–1975) was their son. Until 1930, Gould worked as publicity manager of the Daily Herald. which was completed by Evelyn Sharp.

Suffrage work

In 1906, Aytron-Gould became a member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) alongside her mother, and gave up her science research She wrote the pro-suffrage pamphlet The Democratic Plea for the Men's Political Union for Women's Enfranchisement.

In 1919, Ayrton-Gould was arrested in Trafalgar Square, London, alongside Eglantyne Jebb, for handing out leaflets demanding that the government end the naval blockade of the Central Powers, which was in violation of the Defence of the Realm Act 1914. Ayrton-Gould and Jebb also chalked messages on the pavement in front of the National Gallery in London about their cause.

Political office Ayrton-Gould became a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Labour Party in 1929, and served as vice-Chair in 1938 and Chair of the Labour Party from 1939 to 1940. During the general election of 1929 she missed victory in Northwich by only four votes. She unsuccessfully stood for Northwich again in 1931 and in the 1935 Norwood by-election.

The fifth time that Ayrton-Gould stood for office, she was elected Member of Parliament for newly created Hendon North constituency in Labour's landslide victory of 1945. Aytron-Gould also was a Justice of the Peace in Marylebone and served as a member of the Arts Council.

Ayrton-Gould held the seat until losing the next general election (in 1950), when it was gained by Ian Orr-Ewing (Conservative). She withdrew as prospective candidate for the constituency in September because of ill health. A month later on 14 October 1950 Gould died, aged 64, eight months after leaving the House of Commons.