First female Commons speaker Betty Boothroyd has died
The "inspiring" peer was first elected to parliament as the Labour MP for West Bromwich in 1973.She died today aged 93In 1992 she then made history after being elected as the first female Commons Speaker, a role she held until 2000.Paying tribute to the baroness in parliament today, current Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said: "Not only was Betty Boothroyd an inspiring woman, but she was also an inspirational politician, and someone I was proud to call my friend.
"To be the first woman Speaker was truly ground-breaking and Betty certainly broke that glass ceiling with panache." He added: "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.Baroness Betty was born in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, in 1929.
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