Pop History Moment: Betty Boothroyd Elected Commons Speaker

On this day in 1992 Betty Boothroyd, a Labour MP for West Bromwich (northwest of Birmingham) and formerly with the Tiller Girls dancing troupe, became the first woman elected Speaker of the British House of Commons at the Mother of All Parliaments in Westminster, succeeding Bernard Weatherill.

She was not, however, the first woman to serve in that role; from 1970 to 1973 Betty Harvie Anderson served as deputy speaker under Selwyn Lloyd and occasionally presided over the House in his absence.

Boothroyd served as Speaker of the House until 2000, at which time she was succeeded by Michael Martin.
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