 At the time of her death , commentators described Bessie as one of the most notable political personalities of her time , and perhaps the best @-@ known woman in Britain after the Queen . She was especially appreciated in Liverpool , where much of her campaigning zeal for better housing and healthcare was concentrated . Widely known and remembered as " Battling Bessie " , thirty years after her death she was placed eighth in a BBC poll of " great Merseysiders " . 
