Freda Corbet

Freda Corbet
Freda Corbet
Member of Parliament for Camberwell North West
In office 5 July 1945 – 3 February 1950
Preceded by	Oscar Guest
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Member of Parliament for Peckham
In office 23 February 1950 – 8 February 1974
Preceded by	Lewis Silkin
Succeeded by	Harry Lamborn
Personal details
Born	Freda Künzlen (1900-11-15)15 November 1900 Tooting, London, England
Died	1 November 1993(1993-11-01) (aged 92) Bromley, Kent, England
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Ian McIvor Campbell
Alma mater	University College, London

Freda Corbet (née Künzlen, later Mansell; 15 November 1900 – 1 November 1993) was a British Labour Party politician.^[1] Born in London, Corbet spent some time as a teacher in Cornwall before moving back to London to work with her husband in his shop. The couple were both members of the Independent Labour Party and were elected as councillors on London County Council in 1934. There she served on the education committee, helping to introduce comprehensive schools to the city.

Corbet was elected Member of Parliament for Camberwell North West in 1945, though she did not attend many debates, focusing more on her municipal work. She became chief whip of the London County Council in 1947, requiring councillors to check with her before even asking questions at public meetings. Her short stature led to her being known as the 'tiny tyrant'. In 1960, she became chairman of the general services committee, and oversaw the renovation of London's South Bank. Her influential role in the establishment of Royal National Theatre meant that she was given a place on their board for a few years.

She abstained against a three-line whip in 1972, allowing UK to join the European Common Market, and soon after announced her retirement from politics to spend more time with her unwell second husband, Ian McIvor Campbell. Corbet was awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Southwark in 1974.