Betty Boothroyd
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The Rt. Hon. The Baroness Boothroyd OM PC (born 1931 in Dewsbury), is a widely respected British politician. She served as Speaker of the House of Commons for eight years, and is also widely known as having been a member of the Tiller Girls dancing troupe in her younger years.
Betty Boothroyd entered Parliament as Labour MP for West Bromwich in 1974. She became a deputy Speaker in 1987. In 1992 she was elected Speaker, being the first woman ever to hold the position. She stepped down in 2000, and resigned as an MP, being succeeded by Michael Martin as Speaker. After she stepped down she was made Baroness Boothroyd and sits in the House of Lords as a cross-bencher.
She is Chancellor of the Open University and has donated some of her personal papers to the University's archives.
In April 2005 she was awarded the Order of Merit, and recieved the honour on 10th June 2005 at Buckingham Palace.
| Preceded by: Bernard Weatherill | Speaker of the House of Commons 1992–2000 | Succeeded by: Michael Martin |