Fanny Deakin

Who was Fanny Deakin?

Fanny Deakin was a politician from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England, noted for her campaigns for better nourishment of young children and maternity care for mothers.

She was born in Silverdale, a mining village near Newcastle-under-Lyme, into a large but poor family in 1883. On leaving school early she commenced work on the same farm where her family lived. Motivated by the poverty she observed around her, she entered politics and was the first woman to be elected onto Wolstanton Council as a Labour member in 1923. In 1927 she retained her seat, this time standing as a Communist. She was a popular with local people, who nicknamed her "Red Fanny" after she visited the Soviet Union in 1927 and 1930.

Of her five children only one survived into adulthood. In an era of high infant mortality she campaigned for better maternity care of women and free milk for children under five. Along with unemployed miners, she met at Downing Street Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald and as a result of this meeting local councils began to give free milk to pregnant mothers and children up to the age of five.

One of her friends was found guilty of inciting a riot and as a result of her evidence in providing an alibi she was charged with perjury and spent nine months in prison.