Betty Boothroyd, the first female speaker of the House of Commons, has died, aged 93. Lady Boothroyd, a former Labour MP, was speaker from 1992 until her retirement in 2000, and was the first person to be elected to the role after the Commons debates started being permanently televised in 1989.
MPs have championed her ability to “smash the glass ceiling”, as she became the first woman to be elected Commons speaker in April 1992, after more than 700 years of parliamentary tradition. The current Commons speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, led tributes to Boothroyd, describing her as an “inspirational woman and politician” who “stuck by the rules” and will be remembered for her “good humour and charm”. Hoyle previously admitted that Boothroyd “gets me put in my place” with regular phone calls telling him whether he is getting things right or wrong, and encouraging him to “tell him (the prime minister) straight”. Boothroyd served as the MP for West Bromwich West, formerly West Bromwich, from 1973 until 2000 and was made a life peer in the House of Lords after her retirement from the Commons. She grew up in a working-class family in Dewsbury and became involved in politics at a young age as her mother was a member of the women’s section of the Labour party. But Boothroyd followed her dreams as a professional dancer from 1946 to 1948 and appeared in pantomime inthe West End before finally going into politics. She unsuccessfully contested four parliamentary seats before being elected to West Bromwich. After moving to London in the 1950s, she worked for two influential Labour MPs, Barbara Castle and Geoffrey de Freitas. Hoyle said: “Not only was Betty Boothroyd an inspiring woman, but she was also an inspirational politician, and someone I was proud to call my friend. “To be the first woman speaker was truly groundbreaking and Betty certainly broke that glass ceiling with panache. “She was from Yorkshire, and I am from Lancashire – so there was always that friendly rivalry between us. But from my point of view, it was heartening to hear a northern voice speaking from the chair. “She stuck by the rules, had a no-nonsense style, but any reprimands she did issue were done with good humour and charm. “Betty was one of a kind. A sharp, witty and formidable woman – and I will miss her.”
Rishi Sunak said Boothroyd was a “remarkable woman who dedicated her life to politics”. He added: “The passion, wit and sense of fairness she brought to politics will not be forgotten. My thoughts go out to her family.” The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, said: “Betty Boothroyd was an incredible and inspirational woman. “As speaker, she was at the forefront of a generation that smashed the glass ceiling for female politicians. She made the role her own, with a wit and style that will never be replicated. “Betty was a dedicated and devoted public servant who will be dearly missed by all who knew her. My thoughts – and the thoughts of the Labour party – are with all her many friends and family.”
Former prime ministers also shared their tributes, with Sir Tony Blair describing her as a “big-hearted and kind person”, and the ex-Conservative prime minister Sir John Major said she was “easy to like and easier still to admire”. “She was a truly outstanding speaker, presiding with great authority, warmth and wit, for which she had our deep respect and admiration,” Blair wrote. “It was a privilege to be in parliament during her tenure and to know her as the big-hearted and kind person she was. My thoughts are with her family and many friends.” Former Tory prime minister Theresa May described Boothroyd as “formidable in the chair”, commanding respect from across the House. Boothroyd modernised the Commons speaker role as she refused to wear the traditional white wig, and ensured her successors would be able to choose whether to do so. Although, in one of her more controversial moments, she banned MPs from breastfeeding their babies during select committee meetings and imposed a similar ban in the Commons public gallery. Harriet Harman, Labour’s former deputy leader said she hoped the next Commons speaker will be a woman. Speaking to Andrew Marr on LBC, Harman said: “I think it was all the more important then that she was a woman speaker because it was such a man’s world and therefore the symbol of having a woman in the chair was incredibly important not just for parliament but for all of public life. It basically said, ‘look, a woman can be an authority over all of these men’,” Harman added. The Conservative MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, Simon Clarke, described Boothroyd as a “magnificent parliamentarian”, and said it was “a thrill to see her around the Commons until recently”. Charlotte Nichols, the Labour MP for Warrington North, said she was “absolutely devastated” to hear the news, adding: “She was my idol as a small child and the reason I got interested in politics. I’ve only seen her once in Westminster and was too awestruck to even introduce myself, and now I’ll never have that opportunity.”