Baroness Boothroyd, first female Speaker of the Commons, dies at 93

Baroness Boothroyd, the first female Speaker of the House of Commons, has died at the age of 93. She served in the role between 1992 and 2000.

Announcing her death, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the present Speaker, said: “Not only was Betty Boothroyd an inspiring woman, but she was also an inspirational politician, and someone 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.

“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