Manchester Wreath Laying

On the 20th July, our CWO team remembered the birthday of Emmeline Pankhurst by laying a wreath at her statue in Mancheter.

Thank you to our wonderful North West team led by Rosie Redstone and Laura Evans for organising and to Sue Carroll for once again donating the beautiful wreath. To all our NW team – you are brilliant!

A special thank you to our President Pamela Hall OBE and National Deputy Chairmen, Susan Coleman and Tracy Stones, as well as our newly appointed CWO West Midlands Regional Chairman Sherrel Fikeis, for travelling to be at the event too.

Here are some words from our President, Pamela Hall OBE on why this is such an important tradition for all of us.

Today, we celebrate not just a birthday — we celebrate a legacy.

Emmeline Pankhurst, born almost on this day in 1858, didn’t just ask for change — she demanded it. A reformer, a fighter, and one of the fiercest voices for women’s suffrage, she once declared: “We are here, not because we are law-breakers; we are here in our efforts to become law-makers.”

Emmeline’s legacy reminds us: progress requires courage. And every woman who steps into public life brings with her a little more of that courage — for the next generation to follow.

Because we know that when women lead, communities thrive. Conversations change. And policies improve.

They demand action. Resilience. And the courage to lead — even when it’s difficult. Especially when it’s difficult.

We honour Emmeline Pankhurst not just as a suffragette, but as a woman who stood for something.  And we celebrate every Conservative woman who is standing today — for her community, for her country, and for the future.

As President of the Conservative Women’s Organisation, I am proud that we are part of that legacy — not just looking back, but looking forward. We support, develop, and encourage women to stand for office, to speak up, and to step forward — even when it’s not easy.