Tributes paid to ‘pride of West Bromwich’ Betty Boothroyd

Betty Boothroyd was the first woman Speaker in the House of Commons

Former West Bromwich West MP Baroness Boothroyd was the first female Speaker of the Commons and was hugely respected on both sides of the House.

Across the region tributes have poured in for the former Labour MP, who is remembered for her no-nonsense style and good humour.

Tom Watson, former Labour deputy leader and West Bromwich East MP, said: “To the world, Betty Boothroyd was a great parliamentarian and a towering figure in democracy.

“To her many friends in Sandwell she was known as ‘our Betty’. I’ll always remember her as a dear friend and the pride of West Bromwich.”

Former West Bromwich East MP Lord Snape, said: “She never forgot the people from where she came and was enormously popular both in West Bromwich and Westminster.

“When she was voted for as the first woman speaker she managed to unite both sides of the House of Commons.

“History has shown she was certainly outstanding in the role and made herself a worldwide name when she was in the chair.

“Betty never had any airs and graces. She would meet the Queen on one day and a lady from Tipton the next and treated them both the same.

“She was a great friend and colleague and I’ll miss her greatly.”

Former Labour MP Adrian Bailey, who succeeded Baroness Boothroyd in West Bromwich West, described her as a charismatic figure who was equally respected in parliament and across the Black Country.

He said: “She was a trailblazer for women in parliament who was equally at home advocating the interests of her constituents while controlling the strongly conflicting personalities in Westminster.

“She combined an air of authority with an earthy understanding of the lives and problems of ordinary people. I will miss her and will always be thankful for the advice she gave me.

“I am proud to have known such a significant figure in our parliamentary history.”

Lord Cormack, former long-standing Conservative MP for South Staffordshire, said he had been in weekly contact with Baroness Boothroyd in recent years and would greatly miss his “dear friend” of around half a century.

“She was a greatly valued member of the House of Lords and was the most distinguished of Speakers,” he said.

“And as the first woman Speaker she was a landmark figure in British politics. She will be remembered for her unfaltering good humour as well as her gentle firmness in the chair.

“She will leave a great hole in British politics, but also thousands of fond memories and undiluted respect.

“Betty was a wonderful person and I feel all the richer for having known her.”

Lord Austin, former Dudley North MP, said her passing was “terrible news”.

“She was a wonderful woman who served the Black Country and the country as a whole with great distinction,” he said. “As a young member of the party’s staff, she was also so kind to me.

“She achieved amazing things in politics – all the more so when you think how few women there were in parliament in those days.”

John Spellar, Labour MP for Warley, said: “Betty Boothroyd, as well as being a groundbreaking Speaker, was a good neighbouring MP in Sandwell and a stalwart on the Labour NEC in the battle to bring the party back to good sense and electability. She was a real comrade. RIP.”

Baroness Boothroyd was originally from Yorkshire and moved to the Black Country when she became an MP for West Bromwich in 1973.

In her later years she lived in Cambridgeshire after moving out of London. It is understood she visited Manchester a few weeks ago to see the musical based on her life.