Alice meets Lloyd George
London to see cabinet ministers
London to see cabinet ministers
Early in 1913 a leading member of the WSPU, Flora (General) Drummond, called on working class suffragettes to join a deputation to meet Treasury Minister, Lloyd George and put reasons forward why such women should want the right to vote.
Alice jumped at the chance and on January 24th 1913 travelled to London to meet Lloyd George, representing women working in the shoe industry in Leicester. From Alice’s own book of press cuttings, newspaper photographs of her taken on the steps of the Treasury are shown. By chance meeting up with the Edinburgh deputation of suffragettes, who were also there on the day.
Little was known of what Alice said to Lloyd George that day, until early in 2018 staff at The National Archives met great grandson Peter Barratt and showed him the actual minutes of the meeting on that very day.
Alice’s account to Lloyd George was a moving and heartfelt account of why working women wanted the vote, but also details the appalling social and housing conditions of that were typical in many towns and cities throughout the country.
Flora Drummond
Footnote
Whilst Lloyd George held a number of such meetings early in 1913, a fictional account of the scene is depicted in the opening minutes of the film ‘Suffragette’ (2015). Acknowledging Alice’s contribution to the cause of women’s equality, Director Sarah Gavron kindly invited great grandson Peter to be an extra in the scene
General Drummond
Great Grandson - Peter Barratt in the film 'Suffragette' 2015
Audio Clip
