Frances Josephy

Frances Louise Josephy (February 1900–1985) was a British Liberal politician, journalist and lecturer.

Background

She was born in Broughty Ferry, Dundee. She was educated at Seymour Lodge School, Dundee, before going on to St. Andrew's University and Newnham College, Cambridge. She graduated at Cambridge in Classics and English.

Political career

In 1924, she joined the National League of Young Liberals. She was Research Secretary to the Radical Parliamentary Group in the House of Commons. In March 1928 she stood at the London County Council elections as a Liberal backed Progressive Party candidate. She contested Winchester in 1929. This was a safe Tory seat that they had won at every election since 1885 and at the previous election, the Liberals came third. She managed to increase the Liberal vote but still finished third. She contested Basingstoke in 1931, a seat the Liberals had won in 1923. In an unfavourable year for the Liberals, she retained second place;

She became Honorary Secretary of the National League of Young Liberals, and a vice-chairman. She contested Devizes in 1935, a seat the Liberals last won in 1923 and nearly re-gained in 1929. She managed to reduce the Tory majority;

She was re-adopted by Devizes Liberals as their prospective parliamentary candidate for a General Election expected to occur in 1939/40. In 1939 she served as President of the National League of Young Liberals. In the early 1940s, she was an advocate of global federalism.[1] She served as Chairman of the Federal Union from 1941–45. She edited the group's paper, Federal News, from 1944–6. She contested Devizes again in 1945. With the country swinging to Labour, she dropped to third place;

She was also a member of the European Union of Federalists' central committee from 1946 until her death. In 1949 she attended the European Assembly at Strasbourg as an observer. She was a member of the Liberal party national executive. She contested Cambridge in 1950. This was not a good prospect for the Liberals as they had not contested the seat since 1934 and had not won since 1906;

She contested Cambridge again in 1951.

From the mid-1950s, she worked as a reviser for the Assembly of Western European Union in Paris for nine years.