Betty Boothroyd: House of Commons’ first female speaker passes away at 93

The first female speaker of the House of Commons, Betty Boothroyd, passed away at the age of 93.

Former Labour MP Baroness Boothroyd served as speaker from 1992 until her retirement in 2000. She was the first person to be chosen for the position after the Commons discussions began being broadcast on television on a regular basis in 1989. She later received a life peership in the House of Lords.

Lindsay Hoyle, the current speaker of the Commons, led the tributes to Boothroyd, praising her for being an "inspirational lady and politician" who "kept to the rules" and would be remembered for her "good humor and charm."



From 1973 until 2000, Boothroyd represented West Bromwich West, previously West Bromwich, as a member of parliament. In 1992, she was elected speaker.

In addition to being an outstanding lady, Betty Boothroyd was also an inspirational politician and someone I was pleased to call my friend, according to Hoyle. "Being the first female speaker was definitely historic, and Betty undoubtedly did so with style.

"Because I am from Lancashire and she is from Yorkshire, there has always been that friendly competition between us. Yet from my perspective, hearing a northern voice speaking from the chair was encouraging, Hoyle also said.

She followed the rules and had a no-nonsense demeanor, yet any reprimands she did give were delivered with grace and good humor.

UK house of Commons speaker further said that “Betty was unique in every way. She was a formidable, bright, and funny woman, and I shall miss her”.

By refusing to wear the traditional white wig and ensuring that her successors would have the option to do so, Boothroyd modernized the Commons speaker position.

She did, however, institute a similar restriction in the Commons public gallery and forbid MPs from nursing their infants during select committee hearings in one of her more contentious moments.

Boothroyd was raised in a working-class home in Dewsbury and got active in politics at an early age since her mother belonged to the Labour party's women's wing.

She worked for two important Labour MPs, Barbara Castle and Geoffrey de Freitas, after relocating to London in the 1950s.

FAQs:

1. When did Betty Boothroyd become Speaker?
   From 1992 to 2000, she served as Speaker of the House of Commons.
2. What was the age of Betty Boothroyd?
   93-years-old.