OUT OF ORDER!
Time’s up for Betty Boothroyd, the first female Speaker of the House of Commons, aged 93. Her candidacy for the chair was the first contested election for the role in decades, and was cumulative of a career she had to fight for every step of the way – she grew up the hardworking daughter of humble textile workers, and made four unsuccessful runs for parliament before finally winning the West Bromwich seat in 1973. Ideologically of a moderate mould similar to her early mentor Geoffrey de Freitas, the fire in her belly commanded respect from across the political spectrum.
Her eight years as speaker brought a mix of new and old, and a blend of good humour and utmost respect for her duties. The female first broke tradition, as did her eschewing of the powdered wigs, but on the whole she hewed to parliamentary tradition and erred against any changes in protocol. Her sharp wit and theatrical background (she was a Tiller Girl in her youth) shone in the age of televised Commons sessions – the fiery pleads of “order, order!”, the deadpan putdowns of unruly backbenchers (“Mr. Campbell-Savours, I am sick and tired of hearing you shout out from a sedentary position…”). She retired as both speaker and MP in 2000, setting a benchmark for her role none have lived up to since.
Sitting as Baroness Boothroyd in the House of Lords from 2001 onward, she remained outspoken and was an ardent voice against Brexit with trademark Boothroyd wit: “[Harold Wilson] said that anyone who claimed that membership of the European Community was a black and white issue was either a charlatan or a simpleton. I leave your Lordships to adjudicate on that one. Which brings me to Mr. Boris Johnson.” She seemed in good nick for her age and thus was less popular than expected given her age and stature, only being selected by four teams. All eyes now on Patricia Routledge…
Betty Boothroyd
8 October 1929 – 26 February 2023, aged 93
4 TEAMS (💀💀💀💀💀 5 POINTS)