Labour member of Parliament from 1992. She has made many stage appearances for the Royal Shakespeare Company, including Marat/Sade 1966, Hedda in Hedda Gabler 1975, and Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra 1978. Her films include the Oscar-winning Women in Love 1969, Sunday Bloody Sunday 1971, and A Touch of Class 1973. On television she played Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth R 1971. In 1990 she was chosen by the Labour Party as a candidate for Parliament and was elected member for Hampstead and Highgate in N London April 1992.
