30 years ago today, Betty Boothroyd was elected House of Commons Speaker

Today marks thirty years since Betty Boothroyd was elected the first female Speaker of the House of Commons and the first from the opposition benches. She made a huge contribution to the work and character of parliament and is arguably one of the greatest public servants this country has ever had. When I asked Betty what she thought about today, she told me: “I’m not only proud of being the first woman elected as Speaker but I’m the first Speaker to be elected from the opposition benches, which demonstrates the strength of our democracy. The government whips must have been having a bad day!”

Betty was born in 1929 in the industrial town of Dewsbury as the daughter of two textile workers and has never forgotten her working-class roots. She failed four times to get elected to parliament before winning the 1973 West Bromwich by-election and was one of 27 female MPs in the House of Commons at the time. She later said: “I think I only did it out of sheer determination. I just felt I could do it and one day I was going to make it.” Following the 1987 general election, Betty served as deputy Speaker for five years under the Speaker Bernard Weatherill, someone she regarded as a teacher and friend.

During her first time in the chair, she was asked by MP for Burnley Peter Pike: “What do we call you?” She replied: “Call me Madam.” On this day in 1992, at 2.44pm, the House of Commons was packed and there was huge anticipation in the air for her election as Speaker. Betty was proposed by the Conservative MP for North Shropshire, John Biffen, and seconded by Gwyneth Dunwoody, Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich, having been the only woman to represent Exeter previously between 1966 and 1970.

“Like many women, [Betty] had to fight hard to get into the House. Hers has not been an easy apprenticeship. She fought a number of parliamentary seats. She worked very hard, not only for other members of the Labour Party, but for elected representatives generally,” Dunwoody said. “It is… essential that we elect a woman who comes from one of the tribes of the UK that is well known for its ability to speak its mind plainly and with wit. I refer, of course, to the people of west Yorkshire.”

MPs shouted “hear, hear” and chuckled. Soon, Betty followed with one of the finest speeches ever made in the House of Commons. It was heard in complete silence. “Elect me for what I am, not for what I was born,” Betty said. And so they did.

I asked the current Speaker Lindsay Hoyle about Betty and her achievement: “To be the first woman Speaker was truly ground-breaking and Betty Boothroyd certainly broke that glass ceiling with panache. She is from Dewsbury in Yorkshire, so 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.

“I am lucky enough to count Betty as a friend, and I always enjoy our chats together. She is sharp, witty and kind – when she speaks, I want to listen. It is also nice to catch up with someone who knows what the job is like, who freely offers advice and willingly chews over what is going on. A conversation with Betty always brightens my day.”

I couldn’t agree more. I first met Betty on November 21st, 2018 – a day marking 100 years when women first gained the right to stand for election to parliament. We talked about politics and I still remember her steeliness that day and desire to impress upon me the importance of keeping up my spirit and enthusiasm. As Speaker, Betty presided over the chamber in black and white robes and would never allow her authority to be challenged in public or private. She would always ensure that MPs kept to time, sometimes cutting people off at Prime Minister’s Question time with a sharp: “Times up!”

John Major, former Conservative Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party between 1990 and 1997, remembers her no-nonsense style and told me: “Betty was one of the best Speakers. Her fair, impartial manner and brisk no-nonsense style earned respect and ensured an orderly House even at moments of high drama.

“I recall a troublesome back-bencher – one of the tribe who read standing orders rather than a good novel – who was going to challenge one of her rulings. I suggested that he shouldn’t and when he insisted on a reason, I offered two: she’s right and you’re wrong; and she’ll win and you’ll lose.” Betty was determined to ensure that “the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their points of view” in the House of Commons and gained respect from all sides for doing so. Even in difficult times, people knew she would be fair and impartial.

Former Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party Tony Blair said: “Betty was a truly outstanding Speaker, presiding with great authority, warmth and wit. We listened to her sometimes with a frisson of trepidation, but always with admiration and respect. Betty had the unerring ability to quickly get the measure of each and every one of us and deftly handled even the most heated debates.

“I was initially a little scared of Betty as she told me off when I was a young MP for wearing a sweatshirt and jeans in parliament! But I came to know her kindness and warm heartedness and I feel it was a privilege to have been in parliament during her time as Speaker, and that remains undimmed to this day.”

Betty’s time as Speaker wasn’t all serious and there were occasions when her past skills as a performer were called upon (she joined the Tiller Girls dancing troupe before pursuing a career in politics). Dame Margaret Beckett MP, who’s broken glass ceilings in over 40 years in politics, recalled her memories of Betty as Speaker: “She was a wonderful Speaker. One of the clearest indications of this was when she announced she was standing down and the House groaned.

“One of my other memories is not, strictly speaking, a parliamentary one. When the President of China was in the UK for a state visit there was the usual formal dinner hosted by the Chinese for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and other dignitaries, at which, to the astonishment of many of the guests, the President stood up and serenaded the assembled company with a song he had sung to his wife as a young student. When he sat down, he indicated that somebody should respond and Betty, God bless her, did. Earning the undying gratitude of every other guest. I can’t remember what she sang, but Dennis Thatcher muttered he’d never seen anything like it.”

As Betty put it: “What a privilege it was to have the support of the House to do that job… I loved every minute of it!” Retiring from the role of Speaker in October 2000, after eight years of service to the House, Betty was granted a life peerage and now sits in the House of Lords as Baroness Boothroyd of Sandwell in the West Midlands. Her book, Betty Boothroyd: The Autobiography, is an important document for anyone interested in protecting parliamentary democracy. She continues to command respect from many politicians from across the political divide.