In 2011, [[Jo Cox]], MP was elected as the first ever LWN chair, until she was elected member of parliament for Batley and Spen in 2015. Following her death, the Labour Party and Labour Women’s Network started the ‘Jo Cox Women in Leadership Scheme’, which would help invest in training for women within the party.<ref name=lwn-jo>{{cite web |title= Jo Cox women in Leadership Scheme |url=https://www.lwn.org.uk/jo_cox_women_in_leadershipx |website=Labour Women’s Network |access-date=3 August 2024}}</ref>
In 2011, [[Jo Cox]], MP was elected as the first ever LWN chair, until she was elected member of parliament for Batley and Spen in 2015. Following her death, the Labour Party and Labour Women’s Network started the ‘Jo Cox Women in Leadership Scheme’, which would help invest in training for women within the party.<ref name=lwn-jo>{{cite web |title= Jo Cox women in Leadership Scheme |url=https://www.lwn.org.uk/jo_cox_women_in_leadershipx |website=Labour Women’s Network |access-date=3 August 2024}}</ref>
In 2025, LWN [[Anti-transgender movement in the United Kingdom|banned trans women from entering]] the conference hall or voting in its biennial conference, under [[For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers#Interim guidance|interim guidance]] provided by the [[Equality and Human Rights Commission]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rawlinson |first=Kevin |date=2025-12-06 |title=Trans women to be barred from main Labour women’s conference in 2026 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/06/trans-women-barred-main-labour-womens-conference-2026 |access-date=2025-12-06 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
==Purpose==
==Purpose==
Political party
The Labour Women’s Network (LWN) is the socialist society officially representing the women’s wing of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom. It is a grassroots group which provides campaigning, training and support for women within the party.
The organisation was founded in 1988, with the aim of helping more women in the Labour Party to be chosen as candidates, and become elected as members of parliament. The Labour Women’s Network was started by four women: Barbara Follett, Barbara Roche, Hilary De Lyon and Jean Black following the 1987 United Kingdom general election, which saw a very low number of women being elected to the British parliament.[3][4]
In 2011, Jo Cox, MP was elected as the first ever LWN chair, until she was elected member of parliament for Batley and Spen in 2015. Following her death, the Labour Party and Labour Women’s Network started the ‘Jo Cox Women in Leadership Scheme’, which would help invest in training for women within the party.[5]
The Labour Women’s Network is a big tent organisation which accepts women with different views of women issues within the Labour Party. It does not make policy, however its prime purpose is to help and provide training for women who wish to stand for public office in both local and national politics.[3]
The organisation is run by a general committee, with elections taking place every year. Any woman can stand for election providing they have been a member for at least 4 months before proceedings begin. Committee members serve a 2 year term, unless there is a by-election.
The committee of the Labour Women’s Network, as of December 2024[update] was:[6]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chair | Thangam Debbonaire |
| Secretary | Kiran Mahil |
| Treasurer | Cllr Katherine Dunne |
| Training Lead | Nan Sloane |
| Committee member | Cllr Sharon Thompson |
| Committee member | Ashley Dalton, MP |
| Committee member | Cllr Anntoinette Bramble |
| Committee member | Cllr Rosa Bolger |
| Committee member | Cllr Ellie Cumbo |
| Committee member | Cllr Sara Hyde |
| Committee member | Catriona Ogilvy |
