Issue 7_Focus from the AOP_July 2026_FINAL - Flipbook - Page 70
SARAH LOUISE RAMSAY
THE 40% PROJECT
These portraits form part of The 40% Project, an initiative
led by the Royal Photographic Society’s Women in
Photography group celebrating the record-breaking 40%
of women MPs elected in 2024. The project will culminate
in an exhibition and publication in 2026, creating a lasting
visual archive of women reshaping the UK’s political
landscape.
Carolyn Harris MP
Born and raised in Swansea, Carolyn has long been passionate
about politics and community work. She became MP for Neath
and Swansea East in 2024. I felt a proud connection to be paired
with her—not only as a champion for women’s empowerment,
but also because my mother-in-law, Eirwen, grew up in Seven
Sisters within Carolyn’s constituency.
With our family reunion coinciding with the shoot, I had planned
to travel to Wales, but given Carolyn’s frequent parliamentary
duties, we agreed Westminster would be a fitting and
formidable setting.
www.slrphotography.co.uk
After a brief recce, we chose the Jubilee Room in
Westminster Hall—a perfect backdrop for Carolyn’s nononsense debates. An advocate for weight-loss
injections, she has lost over eight stone and feels
healthier and happier than ever. Her bright, onlinebought outfit reflected her confident, approachable
nature.
Carolyn strikes me as a fighter. From her early years as a
dinner lady and barmaid, she earned a degree in Social
Policy from Swansea University, later establishing
centres for disaffected youths and leading regional
charities supporting children and communities. Her
