A RECORD number of women MPs have been elected to Parliament as the Tories swept to a landslide victory.
Conservatives broke Labour’s “red wall” and won voters across the country with the promise of delivering Brexit in a poll described as Britain’s most important in a generation.
Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson, ex-Conservative rebel Anna Soubry and Labour star Laura Pidock all lost their seats – but other female MPs have come to the fore.
Amy Callaghan of the SNP won Swinson’s seat in Dunbartonshire East, while Dawn Butler of Labour and Wera Hobhouse of the Liberal Democrats were among those to hold onto their seats.
A record 220 women MPs have been elected, up from 208 at the 2017 election.
An unprecedented 1,124 women stood as candidates, with all-female ballots in Barking, Chippenham, Llanelli and Telford.
Female Conservatives candidates have won 86 seats, a considerable rise from 67 female MPs in 2017.
But the number remains low – with women now making up just over a third (33.85 per cent) of MPs.
All eyes will now be on the next leader to replace Jeremy Corbyn, who today announced he would be stepping down after Labour’s crushing defeat.
MPs Jess Phillips and shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey are among those pipped for the role.
If a woman is elected, she would become the first female leader in Labour’s history.
Despite the increase, women MPs have faced increasing abuse and threats since the Brexit campaign began in 2016.
A total of 18 women stood down ahead of this election, including former Tory and Lib Dem MP Heidi Allen.
In October, a foundation set up in the name of murdered MP Jo Cox attacked the “abhorrent” abuse aimed at female MPs, after four women cited bullying as their reason for standing down from Parliament.
