PIONEERING MP Barbara Castle has been given the “stamp of approval” after being honoured by the Royal Mail.

Baroness Barbara is featured on a new stamp in the Women of Distinction set, which commemorates the achievements of six formidable women.

She was chosen for her work on getting the Equal Pay Act through parliament. She appears on the 81p stamp.

Baroness Castle was the MP for Blackburn from 1945 to 1979 and later served as a Euro MP.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “Each of the six women featured in this set took on the establishment and won.

“Some, such as Marie Stopes who took the lead on family planning and Barbara Castle, who championed equal pay for women, are household names.

"Others perhaps are less familiar, but equally worthy of inclusion.

“First elected to Parliament in 1945, the Labour MP Barbara Castle spent a lifetime fighting for social causes, key among them was the 1970 Equal Pay Act which she oversaw."

Baroness Castle was nominated as one of Labour Party’s “all time heroes” at the recent party conference in Manchester by modern day MPs.

The stamps went on sale today.