Baroness Betty Boothroyd, the first woman to hold the position of Commons Speaker, has passed away at the age of 93. She was respected by all sides of the House for her charm and “no-nonsense” approach.
The current Speaker of the Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, referred to her as “an inspirational politician” and “an inspiring woman”.
He admired her for breaking the glass ceiling and being the first female Speaker with such panache. Baroness Boothroyd was Speaker from 1992 to 2000, spanning the end of John Major’s government and the first phase of Tony Blair’s administration.
Before her time as Speaker, she was a Labour MP for West Bromwich for twenty years. During her term as Speaker, she sat as an independent and after her eight-year tenure, she became a member of the House of Lords.
Many politicians paid tribute to her upon hearing the news of her passing. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly described her as “a real trailblazer”, while former Cabinet minister David Davis referred to her as a “formidable Speaker” and noted her historical position as the first female Speaker of the House of Commons.
»Tributes paid to former Commons Speaker Betty Boothroyd who died aged 93«
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