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Betty Boothroyd

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Betty Boothroyd

Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd (8 October 1929 – 26 February 2023), was a British politician who served as a member of Parliament (MP) for West Bromwich and West Bromwich West from 1973 to 2000. A member of the Labour Party, she served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1992 to 2000. She was previously a Deputy Speaker from 1987 to 1992. She was the first and as of 2025, the only woman to serve as Speaker. Boothroyd later sat in the House of Lords as, in accordance with tradition, a crossbench peer.

Infobox

Monarch
Elizabeth II
Prime Minister
John Major Tony Blair
Preceded by
Maurice Foley
Succeeded by
Adrian Bailey
Speaker
Bernard Weatherill
Born
(1929-10-08)8 October 1929Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died
26 February 2023(2023-02-26) (aged 93)Cambridge, England
Resting place
St George's Church, Thriplow, Cambridgeshire, England
Political party
Labour (before 1992) Speaker (1992–2000) Crossbench (from 2001)
Alma mater
Kirklees College
Party
Labour (before 1992) Speaker (1992–2000) Crossbench (from 2001)

Tables

Coat of arms of Betty Boothroyd · Arms
Notes Granted 8 October 1993 by Conrad Swan, Garter King of Arms. Coronet A Coronet of a Baroness Escutcheon Gules, a representation of the mace of the Speaker of the House of Commons palewise Or surmounted in base by a rose Argent barbed and seeded Proper over all on a fess Gold an owl guardant Proper between two millrinds Sable. Motto I Speak To Serve Orders Order of Merit since 2005. Other elements Atop the lozenge is a green forget-me-not bow or lovers' knot which indicates that she never married. Symbolism The mace is a symbol of Parliament, and thus represents Lady Boothroyd's role as Speaker of the House of Commons. The white rose represents Lady Boothroyd's home county of Yorkshire, while the owl represents her alma mater, Dewsbury Technical College. The millrinds refer to her constituency of West Bromwich because they symbolise the industrial revolution, which is a dominant part of that area's history. Her motto can be explained in her own words: I only speak when I've got something to say, and when I've something to say, I'm trying to serve my country, and to serve the philosophy that I cherish very much. The green bow atop of the crest (forget-me-not bow or lovers' knot) indicates that she has not been married.
· External links
Preceded byMaurice Foley
Preceded byMaurice Foley
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded byMaurice Foley
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Member of Parliament for West Bromwich 1973 – February 1974
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Constituency abolished
New constituency
New constituency
Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Member of Parliament for West Bromwich West February 1974–2000
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Succeeded byAdrian Bailey
Preceded bySir Paul Dean
Preceded bySir Paul Dean
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded bySir Paul Dean
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means 1987–1992
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Succeeded byDame Janet Fookes
Academic offices
Academic offices
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Academic offices
Preceded byThe Lord Briggs
Preceded byThe Lord Briggs
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded byThe Lord Briggs
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Chancellor of the Open University 1994–2006
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Succeeded byThe Lord Puttnam
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded byMaurice Foley
Member of Parliament for West Bromwich 1973 – February 1974
Constituency abolished
New constituency
Member of Parliament for West Bromwich West February 1974–2000
Succeeded byAdrian Bailey
Preceded bySir Paul Dean
Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means 1987–1992
Succeeded byDame Janet Fookes
Preceded byBernard Weatherill
Speaker of the House of Commons 1992–2000
Succeeded byMichael Martin
Academic offices
Preceded byThe Lord Briggs
Chancellor of the Open University 1994–2006
Succeeded byThe Lord Puttnam

References

  1. Journals of the House of Commons
    https://assets.parliament.uk/Journals/HCJ_volume_249.pdf
  2. Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
    https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/people/miss-betty-boothroyd/index.html
  3. "Baroness Boothroyd, first female Speaker of the House of Commons, has died aged 93"
    https://news.sky.com/story/baroness-boothroyd-first-female-speaker-of-the-house-of-commons-has-died-aged-93-12724383
  4. "Parliamentary career for Baroness Boothroyd – MPs and Lords – UK Parliament"
    https://members.parliament.uk/member/679/career
  5. "Betty Boothroyd: To Parliament and beyond"
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/highlights/011024_bettyboothroyd.shtml
  6. Biography Online
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  7. UK Parliament Website
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  8. The Times
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  9. Betty Boothroyd Autobiography Paperback – 3 Oct 2002 (synopsis)
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  10. "Exhibition: Betty Boothroyd"
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  11. London Datastore
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  13. Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
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  14. The Guardian
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  15. The Independent
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  16. UK Parliament – MPs and Lords
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  17. The Telegraph
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  18. BBC Parliament coverage of the election of the Speaker of the House of Commons, 22 June 2009;
  19. The Christian Science Monitor
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  21. The Independent
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  24. The London Gazette
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  25. St Hugh's College, Oxford
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  26. Art in Parliament: THE RT. HON BETTY BOOTHROYD CHOSEN SPEAKER IN THE YEAR 1992 Archived 6 July 2013 at the Wayback Machi
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  28. The London Gazette
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  29. The London Gazette
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  30. Newsletter 6, 15 October 2009, of the Society of Light and Lighting Archived 12 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine – webs
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  31. PoliticsHome.com
    https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/government-and-public-sector/house/81070/house-heroes
  32. st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk
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  33. "Betty Boothroyd attacks Nick Clegg's 'destructive' Lords reform"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20110120183740/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/nick-clegg/8262902/Betty-Boothroyd-attacks-Nick-Cleggs-destructive-Lords-reform.html
  34. The Guardian
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  35. Belfast Telegraph
    https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/betty-i-refused-three-marriage-proposals/28361538.html
  36. The Daily Telegraph
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1348174/Superstar-who-ruled-MPs-with-an-iron-rod-and-a-ready-wit.html
  37. The Daily Telegraph
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1348174/Superstar-who-ruled-MPs-with-an-iron-rod-and-a-ready-wit.html
  38. BBC News
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  39. National Portrait Gallery
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  41. BBC News
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64786680
  42. BBC News
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-65113102
  43. ITV News
    https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2023-03-29/pm-leads-tributes-to-remarkable-speaker-betty-boothroyd
  44. BBC News
    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-65113102
  45. "Grant of Arms: Betty Boothroyd 1993"
    https://heraldryonline.wordpress.com/2024/01/06/grant-of-arms-betty-boothroyd-1993/
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    https://www.c-span.org/video/?66943-1/house-commons-speakers-residence
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  49. "Baroness Boothroyd on her official portrait as Commons Speaker by Andrew Festing"
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyLgzBLkCg8
  50. David Nott Foundation
    https://davidnottfoundation.com/people/the-rt-hon-the-baroness-boothroyd-om/
  51. City, University of London
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    https://www.cam.ac.uk/about-the-university/how-the-university-and-colleges-work/processes/honorary-degrees/notable-recipients
  53. "Archived copy"
    http://www.open.ac.uk/students/ceremonies/sites/www.open.ac.uk.students.ceremonies/files/files/Honorary%20graduate%20cumulative%20list(1).pdf
  54. "Honorary degrees"
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  55. st-andrews.ac.uk
    https://web.archive.org/web/20151003094921/http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/news/archive/2003/title,42612,en.php
  56. Newnham College – University of Cambridge
    https://www.newn.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2019-2020-Honorary-Fellows.pdf
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