Inga-Stina Robson

Who was Inga-Stina Robson?

Inga-Stina Robson, Baroness Robson of Kiddington, often known as Stina Robson, was an Anglo-Swedish political activist.

Born to a wealthy family in Stockholm as Inga-Stina Arvidsson, she attended Ölinska Girls' School before becoming a secretary in the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs' London office. While there, she met Lawrence Robson, an accountant, and the two married in 1940. During World War II, she worked as a translator for the British Ministry of Information.

Robson settled at Kiddington Hall near Woodstock, Oxfordshire, and worked on her husband's unsuccessful candidature for the Liberal Party in Banbury at the 1950 general election. Their house was used as a conference centre and was popular for Liberal Party events. In the run-up to the 1955 general election, Lawrence was the Liberals' prospective candidate in Eye, but he was appointed to a government commission and withdrew, leaving Inga-Stina to fight the seat, although she was not successful. Later in the year, she became a magistrate.

Robson stood again in Eye at the 1959 general election, then in Gloucester in 1964 and 1966. Although she never came close to election to Westminster, she was elected to Chipping Norton Rural District Council.