Betty Boothroyd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Baroness Boothroyd
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Official portrait, 2018
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| Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom | |
| In office 28 April 1992 – 23 October 2000 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Bernard Weatherill |
| Succeeded by | Michael Martin |
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| In office 17 June 1987 – 27 April 1992 |
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| Speaker | Bernard Weatherill |
| Preceded by | Paul Dean |
| Succeeded by | Janet Fookes |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| In office 15 January 2001 – 26 February 2023 Life peerage |
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| Member of Parliament for West Bromwich West West Bromwich (1973–1974) |
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| In office 24 May 1973 – 23 October 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Maurice Foley |
| Succeeded by | Adrian Bailey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 October 1929 Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 26 February 2023 (aged 93) Cambridge, England |
| Political party | |
| Alma mater | Kirklees College |
| Signature |  |
Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd (born 8 October 1929 – died 26 February 2023) was a famous British politician. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1973 to 2000. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the House of Commons, which is part of the UK Parliament.
Betty Boothroyd was a member of the Labour Party. She made history by becoming the first ever woman to be the Speaker of the House of Commons. She held this important role from 1992 to 2000. After leaving the House of Commons, she became a crossbench peer in the House of Lords. This means she became a member of the upper house of Parliament, but she didn't belong to any political party there.
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Betty Boothroyd's Early Life
Betty Boothroyd was born in 1929 in Dewsbury, a town in Yorkshire, England. Her parents, Ben and Mary, both worked in textile factories. She was their only child.
Betty went to local schools and later studied at Dewsbury College. Before becoming a politician, she had a very different career! From 1946 to 1952, she was a dancer. She was part of a famous dancing group called the Tiller Girls and even performed briefly at the London Palladium. Sadly, a foot infection ended her dancing career. After that, she decided to get involved in politics.
In the 1950s, Betty worked as a secretary for several Labour MPs. In 1960, she traveled to the United States to see John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign. She then worked in Washington D.C. for an American Congressman for two years. When she returned to London, she continued working for important Labour politicians. In 1965, she was elected to the local council in Hammersmith, London, where she served until 1968.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Betty Boothroyd wanted to be a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party. She tried to win elections in several different areas, but she didn't succeed at first. Finally, in 1973, she was elected as the MP for West Bromwich West.
After becoming an MP, Betty took on many important roles. In 1974, she became an assistant Government Whip. A Whip is like a team captain who makes sure all party members vote together. From 1975 to 1977, she was also a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). This meant she represented the UK in the European Parliament.
She also joined important groups in Parliament, like the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs. These committees look closely at specific topics. She was also part of the Labour Party's main committee, the National Executive Committee (NEC), from 1981 to 1987.
Deputy Speaker and First Woman Speaker
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In 1987, Betty Boothroyd became a Deputy Speaker. The Speaker is the person who controls debates in the House of Commons and makes sure rules are followed. Being a Deputy Speaker meant she helped the main Speaker, Bernard Weatherill. She was only the second woman to ever be a Deputy Speaker.
Then, in 1992, Betty Boothroyd made history! She was elected as the Speaker of the House of Commons. This made her the first woman ever to hold this very important position.
When she became Speaker, people wondered if she would wear the traditional Speaker's wig. She decided not to, but she said future Speakers could choose to wear it if they wanted. No Speaker has worn it since. People also wondered how to address her. She famously said: "Call me Madam Speaker."
In 1993, there was a very close vote in Parliament about a European law. Betty Boothroyd had to use her "casting vote" to decide the outcome. This is a special vote the Speaker uses only when there's a tie. It was later found that her vote wasn't actually needed because of a counting mistake, but it showed how important her role was.
Betty Boothroyd wanted young people to be interested in politics. In the 1990s, she even appeared on a popular BBC children's TV show called Live & Kicking. Her famous phrase for ending the weekly "Prime Minister's Questions" was "Time's up!"
On 12 July 2000, Betty Boothroyd announced that she would step down as Speaker. Both the Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, and the former Prime Minister, John Major, praised her work. They called her an "outstanding Speaker" and "something of a national institution." She officially resigned on 23 October 2000.
Life Peerage and Later Life
After leaving the House of Commons, Betty Boothroyd received many honors. In 2001, she became a life peer, which means she was given the title of Baroness Boothroyd. This allowed her to become a member of the House of Lords for the rest of her life.
In 2005, she was given the Order of Merit (OM). This is a very special award given by the Queen to people who have done great things in science, art, literature, or public service.
Betty Boothroyd was also the leader (called "chancellor") of the Open University from 1994 to 2006. She also received many honorary degrees from different universities, recognizing her achievements.
In her later years, Betty Boothroyd continued to share her opinions on important political topics. For example, in 2011, she spoke about plans to change the House of Lords. She worried that making some members elected could cause problems between the two parts of Parliament.
Betty Boothroyd's Personal Life
Betty Boothroyd never married or had children. She had some interesting hobbies! In her 60s, she started paragliding while on holiday in Cyprus. She said it was both "lovely and peaceful" and "exhilarating."
In 1995, while on holiday in Morocco, she got caught in a huge storm in the Atlas Mountains. Her car got stuck in a landslide, and she had to walk for nine hours through mud to find help. She and her group were eventually rescued.
Betty Boothroyd passed away on 26 February 2023, at the age of 93, in Cambridge, England. The Speaker of the House, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, announced her death the next day.
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Honorary Degrees
Betty Boothroyd received many honorary degrees from universities. These degrees are special awards given to people who have achieved great things, even if they didn't study at that university. Some of them include:
- 1993: Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) from City, University of London
- 1994: Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) from the University of Cambridge
- 1995: Doctor of the University (D.Univ.) from the Open University
- 1995: Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) from the University of Oxford
- 2003: Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) from the University of St Andrews
She was also made an Honorary Fellow of Newnham College, Cambridge, in 1994.
Images for kids
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Betty Boothroyd's signature
See also
In Spanish: Betty Boothroyd para niños
