{"id":2579,"date":"2024-01-22T14:32:56","date_gmt":"2024-01-22T14:32:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/?p=2579"},"modified":"2025-07-22T13:31:52","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T12:31:52","slug":"elizabeth-margaret-braddock-or-our-bessie-liverpools-celebrated-political-champion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/eternal-2579-elizabeth-margaret-braddock-or-our-bessie-liverpools-celebrated-political-champion","title":{"rendered":"Elizabeth Margaret Braddock, or &#8220;Our Bessie&#8221;: Liverpool&#8217;s Celebrated Political Champion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Liverpool has been the birthplace of many influential feminists and suffragettes, and Elizabeth Braddock stands tall among them. She was a tireless campaigner for the rights of women, the underprivileged, and the poor. The people of Liverpool adored her, as she fought to improve housing for low-income families and championed healthcare reform. Today, we delve into the life and work of this remarkable woman. Next on <a href=\"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\">liverpoolka<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a65d3e3a81e9\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #090909;color:#090909\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #090909;color:#090909\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a65d3e3a81e9\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/eternal-2579-elizabeth-margaret-braddock-or-our-bessie-liverpools-celebrated-political-champion\/#Following_in_Her_Mothers_Footsteps\" >Following in Her Mother&#8217;s Footsteps<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/eternal-2579-elizabeth-margaret-braddock-or-our-bessie-liverpools-celebrated-political-champion\/#How_Elizabeth_Became_Bessie\" >How Elizabeth Became Bessie<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/eternal-2579-elizabeth-margaret-braddock-or-our-bessie-liverpools-celebrated-political-champion\/#Meeting_Her_Future_Husband\" >Meeting Her Future Husband<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/eternal-2579-elizabeth-margaret-braddock-or-our-bessie-liverpools-celebrated-political-champion\/#A_Life_in_Politics\" >A Life in Politics<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Following_in_Her_Mothers_Footsteps\"><\/span>Following in Her Mother&#8217;s Footsteps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Elizabeth was born in Liverpool in 1899. Her mother, Mary, was a formidable trade union organiser and activist who battled against the appalling living conditions in the city. At the turn of the 20th century, Liverpool had one of the highest infant mortality rates and a desperately poor quality of life. With such a determined mother, Elizabeth was never going to be an average housewife. From a young age, she watched Mary actively helping the poor and destitute by supporting strikes and rallies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Young Elizabeth also received a political education, attending a socialist Sunday school. Later in life, she would recall the soup kitchen her mother helped to establish. The memory of the unemployed people&#8217;s faces\u2014empty, hopeless, and sad\u2014stayed with her forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When she was just 11 years old, she joined the youth section of the Independent Labour Party (ILP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Elizabeth_Became_Bessie\"><\/span>How Elizabeth Became Bessie<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1913, Elizabeth left school and started working, filling seed packets for five shillings a week. She soon found a better job at the Walton Road Co-operative store and became a member of the Shop Workers&#8217; Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alongside her work, Elizabeth attended classes at the Workers&#8217; Educational Association and the Plebs League. In one of her classes, there were three girls named Elizabeth. To avoid confusion, she adopted the name Bessie, which stuck with her for the rest of her life. Years later, the public would affectionately call her &#8220;Our Bessie.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"361\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/liverpoolka.comhttps\/\/cdn.liverpoolka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/75\/2024\/01\/a4b9d9c336c5be176eab4b490d6eeb0d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2435\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.liverpoolka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/75\/2024\/01\/a4b9d9c336c5be176eab4b490d6eeb0d.jpg 361w, https:\/\/cdn.liverpoolka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/75\/2024\/01\/a4b9d9c336c5be176eab4b490d6eeb0d-181x300.jpg 181w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 361px) 100vw, 361px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Meeting_Her_Future_Husband\"><\/span>Meeting Her Future Husband<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After the First World War ended, Bessie began working for the Warehouse Workers&#8217; Union. It was during her time with the ILP that she met John &#8220;Jack&#8221; Braddock, who had arrived in Liverpool in 1915. He had originally planned to emigrate to Canada but stayed in the city and became a passionate supporter of left-wing politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bessie and John became close friends, and within four years, they were helping her mother, Mary, campaign for a seat on Liverpool Council as the ILP candidate for the Everton ward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The couple later left the ILP and became founding members of a new political force: the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB). In 1922, Bessie and John were married. There was no grand ceremony; they simply signed the register at the local registry office during their lunch break before both returned to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eventually, the Braddocks left the CPGB and joined the Labour Party. In the 1929 elections, John was elected as a Labour councillor, and Bessie joined him on the council a year later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Life_in_Politics\"><\/span>A Life in Politics<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Bessie entered politics to make a real difference in people&#8217;s lives. She helped launch a major slum clearance campaign in parts of the city and served on the Port Sanitary and Hospital Committee. She personally inspected medical facilities, uncovering issues like poor ventilation, outdated decor, and inadequate kitchens. Braddock was instrumental in reforming medical institutions, particularly those dedicated to women and children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the Second World War, Bessie worked as an ambulance driver for the Liverpool Ambulance Service. Initially, she trained other drivers, most of whom were women. She later became a supervisor, but this didn&#8217;t stop her from driving an ambulance during every single air raid on the city. It was dangerous work, and she continued until the war was over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the war, she became the honorary president of the Liverpool Trades Council and Labour Party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bessie achieved a major victory in the 1945 general election, winning the Liverpool Exchange constituency for Labour. Three years later, she was among the key figures who championed the creation of the National Health Service (NHS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1953, Winston Churchill appointed her to the Royal Commission on Mental Health. It was the work of this commission that led to the landmark Mental Health Act six years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1956, Bessie visited the Soviet Union at the invitation of the mayor of Odesa. Braddock was struck by the grey and gloomy appearance of the city, although she noted that its medical facilities were excellent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bessie&#8217;s term on Liverpool Council ended in 1961. Her husband passed away two years later, after which her own health began to decline. In 1964, she turned down a new government position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In April 1970, Bessie Braddock was awarded the Freedom of the City of Liverpool, becoming the first woman ever to receive the honour. A few months later, she passed away at the age of 71.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bessie Braddock was one of the most famous political figures of her time, a true champion who fought relentlessly for the rights of women, children, and the city&#8217;s most vulnerable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Liverpool has been the birthplace of many influential feminists and suffragettes, and Elizabeth Braddock stands tall among them. She was a tireless campaigner for the rights of women, the underprivileged, and the poor. The people of Liverpool adored her, as she fought to improve housing for low-income families and championed healthcare reform. Today, we delve [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":402,"featured_media":2582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1035],"tags":[1570,1561,1571,1564,1562,1568,1574,1566,1573,1565,1572,1569,1563,1567],"moimportance":[34,33],"motype":[1045],"moformat":[66],"class_list":{"0":"post-2579","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-psychology-of-women","8":"tag-20th-century-british-politics","9":"tag-bessie-braddock","10":"tag-bessie-braddock-legacy","11":"tag-british-labour-party","12":"tag-british-political-icons","13":"tag-elizabeth-margaret-braddock","14":"tag-female-political-leaders","15":"tag-house-of-commons-women","16":"tag-influential-uk-women","17":"tag-liverpool-politician","18":"tag-political-history-liverpool","19":"tag-social-reformer-uk","20":"tag-women-in-uk-politics","21":"tag-working-class-hero-uk","22":"moimportance-golovna-novina","23":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatori","24":"motype-eternal","25":"moformat-vlasna"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/402"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2579"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2583,"href":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2579\/revisions\/2583"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2579"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=2579"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=2579"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liverpoolka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=2579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}