Vera, Lady Terrington was one of the first women to enter parliament, but was also the first woman MP to sue a newspaper for the way in which it portrayed her.
She was elected in December 1923 at the age of 34 as the Liberal MP for Wycombe, and was one of the first women not to 'inherit' her seat from her husband.
During the course of the campaign the Daily Express ran a profile of her under the headline 'Aim If Elected - Furs and Pearls'. One of the things she had said during the interview was that, if elected, she would 'put on my ospreys and my fur coat and my pearls ... Every woman would do the same if she could. It is sheer hypocrisy to pretend in public life that you have no nice things.'
Since her election platform had included a strong women's rights element. Lady Terrington was incensed by the spin put on her comments by the Express and promptly sued them for depicting her as a 'vain, frivolous and extravagant women'. The case went to trial and she lost, mainly because of what she actually had said, but also because the jury took the view that what women in politics wore was a matter of public interest.
Vera Terrington lost her seat in 1924, and although she stood again in 1925 she was not successful. She disappeared into private life, but remains of note because of her libel suit, the outcome of which women politicians still have to live with today.
Read more about other parliamentary women in CFWD's book, A Great Act of Justice: the Flapper Election and After which you can get here