The name Barbara Castle will forever be linked to Blackburn. As well as being one of the most influential and iconic female politicians this country has ever seen, she was Blackburn’s MP between 1945 and 1979.
As such, a lasting memorial to the inspirational, fiery and determined woman – fitting of her place in history – stands proud in Blackburn town centre.
Barbara was passionate about women’s rights, fiercely campaigning for equal pay and making herself in what was then very much a man’s world.
Barbara was often described as ‘radical’ and ‘outspoken’, yet she paved the way for women in politics.
Blackburn with Darwen Council have championed the work of Barbara Castle for many years, celebrating her courage and tenacity each year on International Women’s Day.
“I will fight for what I believe in until I drop dead. And that’s what keeps you alive.”
Having grown up in industrial towns in the north, Barbara always felt at home in Blackburn, despite the fact she had never actually lived here.
She became a well-known figure around the town. She was the first MP to introduce the idea of ‘surgeries’ with her constituents. This practice is widespread today amongst all MPs.
Former Councillor and Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen, Maureen Bateson knew Barbara, she said:
“Barbara Castle was a trailblazer for women everywhere. She also represents all that’s best about Blackburn – real grit and determination, succeeding often against the odds.
“We have such a rich history in both Blackburn and Darwen and yet we don’t often hear about the role women like Barbara Castle played.
“The statue helps us honour all that she did and will ensure that her memory lives on – inspiring future generations.
“It also address the distinct lack of statues of inspirational women in the county and right across the country while celebrating the area’s rich heritage.
“Hopefully we can inspire other women in the community to make their mark, perhaps by getting involved with an important cause or to seek support to overcome any barriers they might face in achieving their potential in life.”
You can usually find the statue in Jubilee Square, where Barbara would have often passed on her constituency business, but it has been temporarily moved to Cathedral Quarter while extensive works are being undertaken at Blackburn College’s Victoria Building.
The celebratory unveiling will take place on 9 October – just three days after what would have been Barbara’s 111th birthday.
Jack Straw, who succeeded Barbara as Blackburn MP, added:
We wanted to have a memorial statue of her, to remind everybody of the contributions she made to the borough.
Barbara had to fight like crazy for recognition as a woman and it was tough, but she also was able to secure changes in the law like the equal pay act.
There were many other things she did including the breathalyser, which caused a huge flurry, and seatbelts. All this stuff we just take for granted made the roads safer – and she did it.
See former MP Jack Straw in an interview about Barbara Castle and a short insight into the Baroness’s life here:
Sam Holland, who has been commissioned to create the Baroness Castle statue, said she wanted to capture Barbara’s power and energy in the statue.
Sam said:
She was brilliant on two levels – a local level and a national level.
For her time, she made a massive impact nationally, things like the 1970s Equal Pay Act, the seatbelts and the breathalyser and the national speed limit.
They were big things that happened through her, and also it is a great time to remember her as a woman of power. And that’s how I’m going to portray her.
Sam held workshops at the National Festival of Making in 2019 encouraging people to experiment with clay sculpting using techniques and skills Sam used in the creation of the Barbara Castle statue.
Watch our interview with Sam here:
About Barbara
Barbara Castle was born on 6 October 1911 as Barbara Anne Betts at Chesterfield. She was the youngest of three children. The family moved to Hull, Pontefract and Bradford.
Barbara attended Girls’ Grammar School at Bradford where her father Frank, a member of the Independent Labour Party, edited the Bradford Pioneer. She became a prefect and was later Head Girl of the school.
Barbara won a scholarship to St Hugh’s College, Oxford in 1929 and in 1931 she graduated with an honours degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
In 1936 Barbara moved to London and became a journalist on the Town and County Councillor before being elected to St Pancras Borough Council in 1937.
In 1941 Barbara became administrative officer for the Ministry of Food for three years. Meanwhile, in 1943 she was a delegate at the Labour party Conference in London with a speech on the Beveridge Report and social welfare.
In 1944 she became a journalist on the Daily Mirror and ran a column for members of the armed forces. It was here that she men Edward Castle, known as Ted, who would become her future husband. He had reported on her speech at the conference.
In 1944 Ted resigned from The Mirror, the same year the couple married.
In May 1945 Barbara wanted to enter Parliament. She put her name down for Crewe but was instead shortlisted for Blackburn and chosen as prospective candidate.
On 5 July 1956 Barbara Castle was elected as MP for Blackburn borough. She was the youngest woman MP in the Commons and went on to serve as MP for Blackburn between 1945-1979. She was a great orator and used to take her politics literally onto the streets of Blackburn by standing on a soap box on street corners when campaigning.
During a long and distinguished career, Barbara Castle held the following Government posts:
- Minister for Overseas Development
- Minister of Transport
- Secretary of State for Employment
- Secretary of State for Health and Social Services
In 1958/59 she served as Chairman of the Labour Party.
In 1979 Barbara departed from the Commons, and that November she was made Honorary Freeman of the Blackburn. Barbara and Charles Fletcher-Cooke, MP for Darwen, were the first personalities to have the honour since the new borough council formed in 1974.
Barbara went to Europe for 10 years as MEP for Manchester.
Having earlier refused Callaghan’s sop of a peerage, she went on to do the same in the Lords in 1990 as Baroness Castle of Blackburn after being nominated by Neil Kinnock in recognition of her work in politics in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Barbara Castle – then Baroness Castle – died on May 3rd 2002, aged 91 at her home in Buckinghamshire. She was a campaigner right up until her death.
She fought for:
Higher pay for nurses
As social services secretary Barbara was responsible for fulfilling her party’s electoral pledge to raise social benefits. Barbara Castle managed to win higher pay for nurses.
Equal pay
Barbara helped make history when she intervened in the Ford sewing machinists’ strike of 1968.
Fed up of being treated as second class citizens and unskilled workers, on 7 June 1968, all 187 at the Dagenham Ford Motor Company went on strike.
After three weeks on strike, the women were offered a wage increase from 85% to 92% of the male rate.
Barbara helped resolve the strike, which resulted in a pay rise for Ford’s female workers. Barbara then put through the Equal Pay Act 1970.
She never saw the fact that she was a woman as being important in her decisions to promote women’s rights. It was her belief that everybody deserved an equal chance, regardless of gender or race which inspired her to fight for reforms in the law.
The 2010 film, Made in Dagenham, was based on the Ford strike and Barbara Castle was portrayed by Miranda Richardson.
The Minister of Transport who couldn’t drive
Barbara Castle said she was “ready to risk unpopularity” by introducing the breathalyser if it meant saving lives.
She was challenged by a BBC journalist who asked her: “You’re only a woman, you don’t drive, what do you know about it?”
In the 12 months following the introduction of the breathalyser, making it illegal to drive with more than 80 mg blood alcohol limit (2 units), Government figures revealed road deaths had dropped by 16.5%.
She also battled formidable opposition for a number of other road safety measures.
Introduced as a trial in 1965, the 70mph national speed limit was made permanent in 1967.
Motorway casualties fell 20%.
Another of her most memorable achievements as Transport minister was to pass legislation decreeing that all new cars had to be fitted with seat belts.
Increased benefits
Barbara Castle became Secretary of State for Health and Social Services in 1974. With the role, she made some more changes.
- Increased benefits
- The introduction of the mobility allowance.
- The Invalid Care Allowance (1976) for single women and others who give up their jobs to care for severely disabled relatives.
- The introduction of a non-contributory invalidity pension for disabled persons who had not qualified for invalidity pension.
- Reforms in child allowances.
- The linking of most social security benefits to earnings rather than prices.
Pensions
As social services secretary, Barbara was responsible for fulfilling her party’s pledge to raise retirement pensions and other social benefits.
Barbara Castle masterminded a new earnings-related and inflation-proof pension scheme.
Did you know…
Barbara Castle was not Blackburn’s first female MP. Mary Hamilton held the role in 1929.
Interesting fact
On the corner of the former Blackburn Technical College where Barbara’s statue proudly stands, if you look up you will see the stone figure of the woman student at the corner of the south wing.
Did you know?
Barbara gave her maiden speech in the House of Commons on 19 November 1945, and her final speech at the Labour Party Conference in September 1999.
Interesting fact
Barbara Castle Way – formerly known as the inner relief road or Blackburn Orbital route – opened on 24 September 1991. The span of road from Preston New Road to Eanam cost £2.2M.
Did you know?
The role of Barbara Castle has been played by a number of talented women. These include:
- Buffy Davis in The Trial of Christine Keeler on BBC
- Miranda Richardson in Made In Dagenham (2010)
- Lorraine Ashbourne in The Crown on Netflix