On 27 April 1992, Betty Boothroyd made parliamentary history when she was elected as the speaker of the House of Commons, the first – and to date only – woman to hold the office in its more than 700-year history. Her election followed the retirement of the previous speaker, Bernard Weatherill, in the wake of the 1992 general election.

In a rare contested election for the post, Boothroyd, who had served as a deputy speaker for five years, defeated former Conservative cabinet minister Peter Brooke by 372 votes to 238 – a majority of 134. It was the first such contest since 1951, and the sixth since 1800.

It was presided over by Conservative MP Edward Heath, the prime minister from 1970 to 1974, in his capacity as father of the House.

Boothroyd’s election also marked the first time since the Second World War that a member of the opposition party had taken on the role of speaker. She was a Labour MP during a period of Conservative government. More than 70 Tory MPs voted for Boothroyd.

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Presiding over the first meeting of the commons since the 1992 election, Heath first explained the rules to the House.

The speakership election was conducted by means of a conventional parliamentary motion. At first, a candidate would be proposed and seconded – after which a debate could follow on that motion. At the end of the debate, the MP proposed could indicate whether they were willing to accept the office.

At that point, an amendment could be proposed and seconded to leave out the first name and insert another. A debate on the amendment could then follow, after which the MP concerned could indicate his or her willingness to accept the office. MPs would then vote on the amendment. If the amendment were carried, the amended motion would then be put to the House, on which a division might also take place. If the amendment were defeated, further amendments could be proposed in the same manner; or, if none were forthcoming, the original question would be put to the House.

The motion originally proposed that MPs elect Peter Brooke as speaker, but was amended to provide for Boothroyd’s election. It was John Biffen, a Conservative MP and former cabinet minister, who proposed that Boothroyd should be elected as speaker. Biffen said Boothroyd had exercised her role, “often in difficult circumstances, with authority and with courtesy.”

Addressing Boothroyd’s party affiliation, Biffen called for a “doctrine of constructive myopia… about whether [the proposed speaker] belongs to the party that has won an election, about whether he is of a party that did not have the speakership in the preceding parliament.”

In her contribution, Boothroyd famously called on MPs to “elect me for what I am and not for what I was born. That is crucial.”

She concluded: “I now have to offer myself as the voice of the House – sensitive to the concerns of every Member, aware of the supreme duty of the Speaker to safeguard the rights of this House, abandoning all my previous commitments to party, and content to serve the House for as long as it may require.”

One division took place on the amendment to endorse Boothroyd as speaker. It was passed by 372 votes to 238 – a majority of 134. The House subsequently agreed the amended motion that “Betty Boothroyd do take the chair of this House as speaker.”

MPs defied commons protocol in standing and applauding Boothroyd’s election.

In an otherwise convention-shattering day, Boothroyd was ceremonially dragged to the chair. The parliamentary tradition symbolises a newly-appointed speaker’s historic reluctance to take on a role that once carried great personal risk. (Seven Speakers were executed by beheading between 1394 and 1535.)

Boothroyd, addressing the House as speaker-elect, thanked MPs for the “very great honour that it has bestowed on me.”

She added: “I pray that I shall justify its confidence, and I pledge that I shall do all in my power to preserve and cherish its traditions.”

John Major, the prime minister, congratulated Boothroyd on her election, noting she was the “the first honourable lady to assume the awesome responsibilities of speaker”.

Major told the commons: “I shall not dwell on that point, except to note that you have made history today. It seems to me, however, that the question of why you have made history is relevant.

“You have become our speaker-elect because the House trusts you. It believes that you enjoy in abundance the qualities necessary to protect and sustain the House, and to safeguard its rights. For those reasons and no other, you have become our speaker, and I offer you my warmest congratulations.”

Ian Paisley, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said he was happy that Boothroyd had been elected as “I believe that a woman has a tenderness that some males do not have.”

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Upon her election to the chair in 1992, Boothroyd declined to wear the traditional wig and found herself having to confront MPs who still referred to her as “Mr Speaker”.

Boothroyd quickly established a reputation as firm, fair and formidable as speaker, using her powerful voice and direct, no-nonsense style to maintain order.

Her distinctive catchphrases, particularly “Right – time’s up!”, became familiar to a wide audience as she presided over the newly televised proceedings of the commons. She became a popular and respected public figure, greatly raising the profile of the speakership.

Boothroyd served as speaker for eight years from April 1992 to October 2000. She was re-elected unopposed to the role following the 1997 general election.

She announced her intention to stand down as speaker on 12 July 2000.

In a statement to the House on 26 July, Boothroyd said: “In 1992, when the House elected me to be speaker, I pledged two things: to do my best to justify its confidence, and to do all in my powers to preserve and to cherish its traditions.

“Now, as I prepare to lay down this great office, it is for you to judge my performance against those promises. Be assured that on this occasion, I shall not rule you out of order.”

She called on MPs to remember that “ the function of parliament is to hold the executive to account. That is the role for which history has cast the commons.”

Boothroyd told the House: “I promise the House that I shall not weep, but I shall certainly mourn the fact that an all-important phase in my life has come to a natural end. However, it is time for laughter as well, as we remember all the lighter moments that we have enjoyed together…

“I say to you, rejoice in your inheritance, defend your rights and remember always that the privileges the House enjoys were dearly won and must never be squandered. You elected me in the springtime, and I shall retire in the autumn, which marks a fitting seasonal conclusion to my period in office.

“Therefore I say to you all, in a phrase that you all know so well, but which has never been more true than now: ‘Time’s up.’

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A speakership election – the last to be conducted using the historic system – followed after the summer recess in October.

Heath once again presided over the House, and made the judgement that Labour MP Michael Martin should be nominated first and therefore form the substance of the motion. In the end, no rival candidate was able to secure more support than Martin in any of the ballots, and as each opponent (amendment) was eliminated, the House finally decided on the original motion that Martin be elected speaker.

Heath initially put the question “on the voices”, but because there was audible disagreement among MPs, a division followed. The House then approved the motion by 370 votes to 8, and Martin was elected as speaker.

The repeated ballots took nearly six hours.

Following a review of the election process in 2001, MPs agreed that the procedure should be made more transparent and straightforward. The procedure committee ultimately recommended an exhaustive ballot system, which was approved by the House.

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In January 2001, Boothroyd was elevated to the House of Lords as Baroness Boothroyd of Sandwell.

Baroness Boothroyd died on 26 February 2023, aged 93.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the incumbent speaker, paid tribute to his predecessor as an “inspiring woman” and “inspirational politician”.

He said: “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. Betty was one of a kind. A sharp, witty and formidable woman – and I will miss her.”