A powerful new documentary celebrating the women who helped reshape British politics will be showcased at a special event at St Edmund’s College later this month.
Groundbreakers, created by broadcaster and Women’s Parliamentary Radio founder Boni Sones OBE, captures the personal stories, political struggles and achievements of some of the most influential women in British parliamentary history.
Through a series of interviews, the documentary reflects on the experiences of female MPs who broke barriers in Westminster long before women became a significant presence in Parliament.
The film arrives at a landmark moment for British politics. Following the 2024 General Election, a record 263 women were elected to Parliament, meaning women now make up 40 per cent of MPs in the House of Commons. Yet despite this progress, Groundbreakers asks an important question: has true equality really been achieved, not only in politics, but across public and professional life more broadly?
In the months leading up to the election, Boni Sones worked alongside journalists Jackie Ashley and Deborah McGurran to launch the Groundbreakers initiative, with the aim of preserving the voices of pioneering women in Parliament before their stories were lost.
We needed to capture the voices of women before 1997, before the time of ‘Blair’s Babes’, said Boni Sones OBE.
Thirteen pioneering women from British politics, including Harriet Harman, Margaret Beckett and Virginia Bottomley shared their stories. Eleven of the women interviewed are still actively involved in public life today as Baronesses in the House of Lords. Several are now in their seventies and eighties, making the preservation of their testimonies especially urgent and historically significant.
Audiences will have the opportunity to view highlights from the documentary at a special preview event taking place on Friday 22 May from 4pm to 6.30pm in the Garden Room at St Edmund’s College.
The event will feature a panel discussion exploring the wider themes raised by the documentary, including leadership, representation and the barriers women continue to face in achieving positions of influence.
Joining Boni Sones OBE on the panel will be Dr Lynn Morgan and Professor Catherine Barnard, who will discuss the political and personal journeys of the women featured in the film. Former Labour MP, Anne Campbell, who features in the film will also join the panel discussion.
The event will be chaired by Honorary Fellow Dame Kate Barker, who will bring an additional perspective beyond politics, reflecting on her own experiences navigating leadership in economics and business.
The event will also provide opportunities for audience questions and networking, encouraging open conversations about the experiences of women not only in politics but across academia, business and public life.
Event organiser and Fellow, Dr Giorgio Caselli, said the themes of the documentary strongly resonate with the College’s values:
Like our College founders, the pioneering female MPs interviewed by Boni and her colleagues confronted fear and prejudice with purpose, persuasion and pragmatism.
The challenges these well-known and long-lived parliamentarians faced, and largely overcame, speak to the importance of preparing individuals for positive encounters with difference, giving them the confidence and tools needed to create positive shared futures.
This event will help our College community further reflect on the importance of our guiding values of open-mindedness, integrity and inclusivity.
At a time when issues of equality, leadership and representation remain central to public debate, Groundbreakers offers both a timely reflection on the past and an inspiring call to future generations.
Tickets for this event are free and can be reserved online.
The event has been kindly supported by the THRIVE Framework fund, which supports initiatives that bring members of the College community together.
About the speakers
Boni Sones OBE. Boni is one of the first as-live podcasters in the UK and led a team of women journalists to set up in 2007 “Boni Sones OBE – Parliamentary Radio”, a broadcast station for women in politics to combat the negative publicity they often received from the British Press. She received an OBE for this work in 2009. These podcasts are now housed at the Archive Centre at Churchill College.
Dr Lynn Morgan MBE. Lynn is former CEO of the Arthur Rank Hospice and has maintained a consistent commitment throughout her career to supporting and developing women to achieve their full potential. In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded an MBE for services to the charity sector and the community.
Dame Kate Barker DBE. Kate is one of Britain’s leading economists. She served as Chief Economic Adviser at the Confederation of British Industry from 1994 to 2001 and was a member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee from 2001 to 2010. Since leaving the Bank of England, she has held a range of non-executive directorships across financial services, pensions, housebuilding, private equity and public sector bodies.
Professor Catherine Barnard. Catherine is a leading legal scholar based at the Law Faculty here at Cambridge. She specialises in European Union, employment and competition law.
