Betty Boothroyd dies at 93

First woman speaker of House broke 700 years of tradition

- RICH BOOTH MARTHA MCHARDY

Politicians from across the spectrum have paid tribute to Baroness Betty Boothroyd, the first woman to be elected Commons speaker, who died yesterday aged 93.

Current speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle described Lady Boothroyd as “one of a kind” and former prime ministers remembered her “authority, warmth and wit”.

Lady Boothroyd shattered more than 700 years of parliamentary tradition when she became the first woman to be elected Commons speaker in April 1992, staying on until October 2000. She then entered the Lords as a crossbench peer in January 2001.

Sir Lindsay said: “To be the first woman speaker was truly groundbreaking and Betty certainly broke that glass ceiling with panache.

“She was from Yorkshire, and I am from Lancashire – so there was always that friendly rivalry between us. But 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.