Cooperation and conflict in the UK women's suffrage movement, 1900-1918

Abstract

This thesis focuses on cooperation and conflict in the UK women’s suffrage movement from 1900, when the ‘Votes for women’ cause began to gain momentum, until women’s partial enfranchisement in 1918. In particular, it considers the impact of suffrage militancy, the First World War, and war-related issues and events, including the Easter Rising of 1916 in Ireland, pacifism and the curtailment of women’s rights. The study also assesses the effect of feminists’ relations with political parties, namely the Liberals, the Irish Parliamentary Party, the Conservatives, Irish Unionists and the Labour Party. The project aims to capture the complexity of suffragists’ relationships, highlighting that certain incidents and issues, as well as personal ties, could reduce or inflame tensions between feminists.

This thesis examines the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish causes together, paying considerable attention to each UK constituent. It therefore adopts the ‘four nations’ approach which has been advocated by scholars such as Naomi Lloyd-Jones and Margaret M. Scull. This enables the study to foreground collaboration and division in the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish campaigns separately, as well as across the constituents, and to compare the movements in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, and feminists and groups from across the UK, on a greater scale than has previously been attempted.

This account is the first study of unity in the UK women’s suffrage movement to include all four of the UK’s constituent parts, and to consider the impact of cooperation and conflict between feminists on the campaign’s effectiveness. Furthermore, in comparison to other studies on collaboration and discord in the cause, this thesis examines the relations in and between a larger number of bodies, and more sources of disagreement and unity.

Thesis is embargoed until 31 July 2031.

Date of Award	Jul 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Sponsors	Northern Ireland Department for the Economy
Supervisor	Elaine Farrell (Supervisor) & Diane Urquhart (Supervisor)