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Happy birthday to Ellen Wilkinson, influential suffragist, trades unionist, communist, socialist, anti-fascist, novelist and member of parliament.

Rickard Sisters

@rickardsisters.com

Born in Manchester, Wilkinson’s early campaigning was for women’s votes. During WWI she organised strikes for equal pay. She was instrumental in the 1926 General Strike and 1936 iconic Jarrow hunger marches (she was MP for Jarrow)

Rickard Sisters

@rickardsisters.com

Wilkinson was steadfast and exuberant in exercising her principles. She was known as ‘fiery’ and was easy to spot with her bright red hair and vivid clothing

8/10/26, 12:03 pm1 repost8 likes

Rickard Sisters

@rickardsisters.com

Wilkinson was Minister for Education in the transformational post WWII Labour government, but she died of long-standing bronchial asthma in 1947 (she was only 56). Well, she died of an accidental medication overdose, and there was inevitablespeculation about her state of mind 🙄