An Oxfordshire MP has said it was “never acceptable” for the number of women portraits to be so low in the town hall.

Last week, Oxford City Council unveiled eight new photographs of women making political strides in Oxford inside the Grade II listed building.

Previously, out of the 45 paintings in the town hall, only five portrayed women.

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Layla Moran serving as MP for Oxford West and Abingdon is one of the eight women to have her portrait put up.

Ms Moran said: “I’m honoured to have been recognised alongside some brilliant women.

“It was never acceptable that only 1 in 9 of the photos in Oxford Town Hall featured women, and I’m happy to see that this has finally been rectified.

“This county has had great people from many different backgrounds, and it is vital that those from historically under-recognised groups receive the representation that they deserve.”

The newly installed black-and-white photographs capture women who were key figures in Oxford's political history.

Residents and visitors to the council chamber, where full council meetings convene, will now be privy to a more balanced representation of local historical figures.

The images also feature Lubna Arshad, the first woman of colour to be lord mayor of Oxford and Anneliese Dodds, who is the MP for Oxford East.

Also included are Olive Gibbs, serving as the second female lord mayor and an ardent champion of social causes and Mary Sophia Merivale, Oxford's first female councillor.

Baroness Frances O'Grady, the first female general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Icolyn "Ma" Smith MBE, founder of the Oxford Community Soup Kitchen and Lily Tawney OBE, the first woman lord mayor of Oxford are also featured.