Walking slowly onto stage to great applause, Baroness Shirley Williams stood for most of the first half to tell us just a little about her life and why she was here; reminding us of the women that came before her in British politics and the obstacles they had to overcome.

In a career that spanned class and party divides and now at 87 years young, the fascinating Williams has so many stories worth listening to. As the first woman to chair the Oxford University Labour Club in 1950 and one of the Gang of Four rebels who founded the SDP in 1981, she has never been one to take it easy.

Here to celebrate International Women’s Day and discuss pioneering women in British politics; after providing us with a brief background on the early history of women in government, she also touched on subjects such as her famous mother Vera Brittain (writer of the bestselling Testament of Youth) and Shirley’s early life as an actress – referencing her time with the Oxford University Dramatic Society, playing the role of Cordelia in Shakespeare’s King Lear.

Taking questions from the audience, she carefully considered her responses, giving articulate and detailed answers to every one, with thoughtful examples and entertaining tales. Amongst the gems was her description of her times spent talking to Margaret Thatcher, as Thatcher ironed Denis’s shirts.

After the event, a long queue formed as Shirley took the time to sign copies of her book Climbing the Bookshelves with personalised messages, chatting and shaking hands as she went.

No matter what your political leanings, she was a true inspiration.

NAOMI LANIGHAN

4/5