Great-grandma who's just turned 100 is 'oldest Labour Party member in country'

Bristolian Pamela Parsons has just celebrated her 100th birthday but has already sent off her postal vote for this week's election - and once again she's backing Labour

A great-grandmother thought to be the oldest Labour Party member in the country has turned 100.

Bristolian Pamela Parsons celebrated her 100th birthday last Thursday with a party thrown for her by her family and staff at the assisted living home where she lives.

The centenarian was born a year after the end of the First World War - and a year after suffragettes won some women the right to vote in Britain.

Pamela began ticking Labour on her ballot papers the first chance she got and hasn't stopped in the eight decades since.

She had been introduced to the world of politics at an early age as her adopted mum was an Alderman in the city, reports Bristol Live .

And it was through this political connection that she got involved with the Labour Party and has remained a member ever since she was a child.

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Although Pamela now suffers from dementia, she still remembers canvassing around Bristol and hosting Labour Party committee meetings in the living room of her council flat.

Former Bristol MP Tony Benn - who Pamela describes as being “a very charming man” - was among the guests at the meetings.

Mr Benn was elected Labour MP for Bristol South East in 1950 and went on to represent the city in the House of Commons for 30 years.

But Pamela still remembers him sitting in her living room talking to Labour members and supporters especially on an election night when her flat was used as a makeshift party headquarters as they awaited the results.

Pamela has a daughter, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Her daughter Pamela Plumley, 64, says she remembers one election night when she was around 11 years old, where dozens of people piled into their living room and ran back and forth from the count to try and tally up the results.

"Being a member of the Labour Party has been a huge part of mum's life since she was a child," said Pamela.

"We found a pin once from her time as a member of The Labour League of Youth, and even in her 90s she was still going to committee meetings and delivering the Observer in her shopping trolley around Kingswood.

Even at 100 Pamela has no plans to leave the world of politics behind completely.

She has already sent of her postal vote for Thursday’s general election - and of course, she is voting for Labour.