Rachel Reeves MP writes biography for I B Tauris

Labour MP Rachel Reeves is to publish a political biography of Alice Bacon, the first woman to represent Leeds in the House of Commons, with I.B.Tauris.

Reeves' constituency is Leeds West.

Bacon was elected to Parliament in 1945 and retired in 1970. She served as minister of state in the Home Office in the Wilson government, helping to pass legislation for the decriminalisation of homosexality, the legalisation of abortion and the abolition of the death penalty. Bacon was also a passionate supporter of comprehensive schools.

Alice in Westminster: The Political Life of Alice Bacon will be published this December (£20).

Reeves (pictured), a former shadow minister for work and pensions, said: "When I was elected to the House of Commons in 2010, I was amazed to find out that I was only the second woman MP for Leeds.I was curious about the life and career of Alice Bacon and wanted to discover more about her work."

Joanna Godfrey, senior editor at I.B.Tauris, called the book "an important political biography of one of the 20th century's most influential female politicians", saying: "As an MP herself, Rachel has a unique perspective on the challenges faced by Bacon and the realities of being a woman in Westminster."