Florence Horsbrugh
First woman MP for Dundee, first Conservative woman cabinet minister, first woman Privy Councillor … and more besides. Florence Horsbrugh came into politics almost by accident, when she stood in for an absent speaker. Born into an Edinburgh family, she was 41 years old when elected as a Unionist MP for Dundee, two years after women over 21 got the vote.
She worked on trade agreements, education, the beginnings of the National Health Service and international affairs, holding her seat until 1945. She was made a Baroness in 1959.
You’ll see her plaque on 25 Albert Square, a new building on the site of the former Unionist Party HQ.
Image of Florence Horsbrugh. Copyright DC Thomson & Co Ltd.
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Around Dundee there is a trail of twenty-five plaques to commemorate remarkable Dundee women. Their stories are told in further detail in the Dundee Women's Trail book. Click here to purchase a limited copy.
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