London- Gwyneth Dunwoody, the longest-serving female member of the British parliament, representing the ruling Labour Party, has died aged 77, the party said Friday.

Dunwoody, who began her parliamentary career in 1974, was known for her fiercely independent views and became an outspoken critic of some aspects of the New Labour reforms introduced under Tony Blair.

Dunwoody, from Wales, chaired the Transport Committee of parliament. She first joined the Labour Party in 1946 and was a member of the European Parliament from 1974 to 1979. (dpa)