Is Betty Boothroyd Living or Dead?

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Is first female Speaker of the House of Commons (UK) Betty Boothroyd dead? Or ... still alive?

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By Andrew Droid Webber

Updated 18 March 2023

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Artist	Chris McAndrew
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License	cc-by-3.0
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first female Speaker of the House of Commons (UK)

Betty Boothroyd is ...

Dead

Born	8 October 1929 in Dewsbury
Died	26 February 2023 in Addenbrooke's Hospital
Age	93 years, 4 months

Sex or gender	female
Country of citizenship	United Kingdom
Father	Ben Archibald Boothroyd
Mother	Mary Butterfield
Occupation	politician and autobiographer
Residence	Cambridge
Position held	Speaker of the House of Commons, member of the European Parliament, Member of the House of Lords, Chairman of Ways and Means, Member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, Member of the 52nd Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 51st Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 50th Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 49th Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 48th Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 47th Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 46th Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 45th Parliament of the United Kingdom, Member of the 51st Parliament of the United Kingdom and Chancellor of the Open University
Awards	honorary degree of the University of Leeds and Order of Merit
Honorific prefix	The Right Honourable

About Betty Boothroyd

Betty Boothroyd, the first female Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom, was born on October 8, 1929, in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. She grew up in a working-class family and left school at the age of 16 to work in a textile mill. However, her passion for politics led her to become a member of the Labour Party in 1947.

Boothroyd's political career began in 1973 when she was elected as a Member of Parliament for West Bromwich. She quickly rose through the ranks and became the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons in 1987. In 1992, she made history by becoming the first woman to be elected as the Speaker of the House of Commons, a position she held until 2000.

During her tenure as Speaker, Boothroyd was known for her firm but fair approach to parliamentary proceedings. She was also a strong advocate for parliamentary reform and modernization, introducing new technologies and procedures to make the House of Commons more efficient and accessible.

Boothroyd's contributions to British politics were recognized with numerous honors, including being made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1994. She retired from politics in 2000 but remained active in public life, serving as Chancellor of the Open University from 1994 to 2006.

Today, Boothroyd is remembered as a trailblazer for women in politics and a champion of parliamentary democracy. Her legacy continues to inspire generations of women to pursue careers in politics and public service.

References:

- "Betty Boothroyd: The Speaker Who Changed Parliament." BBC News, 8 October 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49953413.

- "Betty Boothroyd." The History of Parliament, https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/dictionary-of-british-women/boothroyd-betty-1929.