Pieces of history have been unearthed in the Parliamentary Press Gallery.
Books containing minutes from press gallery meetings dating back to 1944 have been discovered in a clear out of offices.
An entry in 1965 shows a rift between the then male press pack over allowing a woman reporter, Mrs Collett, into their ranks.Some argued they did not approve of a woman member under the present or in any circumstances in the future. Their argument was there were no provisions for any woman of any kind.
However others said the refusal to admit a woman to the gallery could not be interpreted any other way, than as discrimination against a union member because of her sex.Mrs Collet did gain accreditation, paving the way for other women to follow in her footsteps.
