Wilkinson, Ellen

Ellen Wilkinson (1891-1947) was born in Manchester and educated at Ardwick School. She later studied history at Manchester University. In 1912 she became a member of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) and the following year was recruited as a district organizer. She was also an active trade unionist, member of the Fabian Society and a pacifist.

In the 1924 General Election she was elected to represent Middlesborough East. In the 1931 election Wilkinson opposed the National Government formed by MacDonald and as a result lost her seat. She re-entered Parliament as MP for Jarrow in the 1935 General Election. Jarrow had one of the worst unemployment records in Britain. In 1936 Wilkinson organised a march of 200 unemployed workers from Jarrow to London where she presented a petition to parliament. Wilkinson later wrote an account of the Jarrow Crusade and its outcome called The Town That Was Murdered (1939).

Following the 1945 General Election Wilkinson was appointed as Minister of Education. She died on 6 February 1947.