THE first image of the new bronze statue of former Blackburn MP Barbara Castle due to be installed in the town centre next month has been revealed.

It shows her hands holding The Equal Pay Act 1970, one of her many achievements as a Labour Cabinet minister.

It comes as sculptor Sam Holland spoke about the process of creating the statue which will be unveiled on Saturday October 9, a few days after what would have been the late Baroness Castle’s 111th birthday.

Images of the full bronze artwork, which depicts her in her prime striding purposefully and will be the centrepiece of the new Jubilee Square, are being kept secret until closer to that date.

The first image of part of the new Barbara Castle statue with her holding her Equal Pay Act

The first image of part of the new Barbara Castle statue with her holding her Equal Pay Act

Ms Holland has been poring over old photos, archive material and her autobiographies to ensure the holder of five high-profile government posts, who was Blackburn’s MP from 1945 to 1979, is portrayed accurately.

She said: “Barbara should have been celebrated 50 years ago. She was a great advocate for those who aren’t heard.

“At the time, she was a lone woman among men in power. She’s always kept going forward and pushing the boundaries.

“The hardest part of the process is getting the pose right. It’s all about capturing her energy and determination.

“It took a year to model because of Covid. I managed to go into the archives and speak to people who knew her.”

She liaised with Jack Straw, who succeeded Baroness Castle as MP for Blackburn, to ensure the statue looks right.

Ms Holland said: “The statue is six feet tall – so she is literally larger than life. She was only five feet and a fag end in real life. She has wrinkles, and she has a slight wry smile without showing her teeth.

"She’s being installed directly into the ground. She didn’t want to be on a pedestal. She talked to people on the ground, so it was important that she was in amongst the people.

“I love that Blackburn is a town that embraces art. It has so many interesting female statues.

“I have been doing this for 35 years. It was a chance to recreate a key political figure. This was always the way I wanted to portray her. Barbara has been in storage so I’m looking forward to seeing her again on October 9.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council leader, Cllr Mohammed Khan, said: “This is an important piece of public art for many reasons. For me it will represent the spirit of Blackburn. We look forward to welcoming the talented sculptor back to Blackburn for the unveiling next month.”

Baroness Castle, who died in 2002, also serve as a Euro-MP for Greater Manchester from 1979 to1989 before becoming a life peer in 1990.

As transport minister she introduced the breathalyser, confirmed the 70mph maximum speed limit and legislated for seat belts in new cars.

The statue has been funded mainly by individuals and organisations locally and nationally, with additional open space contributions from a recent private housing development.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Tory group has said it should have been paid for entirely out of private and Labour Party donations.