PARIS. A 37-year-old mother-of-two has become France's first MP for compatriots living in Britain, home to up to 400,000 French people.

The Socialist Axelle Lemaire has been elected to one of France's 11 new overseas seats, winning 54.6 per cent of votes in northern Europe, which includes Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia and the Baltic states. Most of its voters live in London, now the sixth-largest city by population of French people.

Axelle Lemaire (left) and President Francois Holande. Credit:Reuters

President Francois Hollande appointed women to half of the 34 cabinet posts after his election last month, and more than a quarter of the 577-seat Parliament is female. But feminist groups said it was still a long way from the parity enshrined in law and pledged by Mr Hollande.