Baroness Boothroyd, first female Speaker of the House of Commons, has died aged 93

Published

3 years ago

February 27, 2023

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The first female Speaker of the House of Commons, Betty Boothroyd, has died aged 93.

Current Speaker of the House Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said: “Not only was Betty Boothroyd an inspiring woman, but she was also an inspirational politician, and someone I 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.”

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

Born into a working-class family in Dewsbury in 1929, Baroness Boothroyd was introduced to politics at an early age through her mother’s membership of the women’s section of the Labour Party.

Often taken to rallies where Labour giants including Clement Attlee and Nye Bevan would address large crowds, Baroness Boothroyd would later follow in their footsteps.

But not before the talented dancer’s dreams of taking the West End by storm with dance group the Tiller Girls were cruelly put to an end by just the age of 25 due to a foot infection.

The political stage would soon follow, the journey beginning with a move to London in the early 1950s after getting a job as secretary to two Labour MPs – Barbara Castle and Geoffrey de Freitas.

Baroness Boothroyd twice unsuccessfully stood to become an MP during this decade – finishing fewer than 7,000 votes behind the Conservative candidate in her first attempt in the Leicester South East by-election in 1957.

Following the two knock-backs, Baroness Boothroyd travelled to the United States in 1960 where she worked on John F Kennedy’s campaign after he was elected as the Democratic candidate for president.

Baroness Boothroyd travelled across America with Democratic senator Estes Kefauver before moving on to work for left-wing Republican congressman Silvio Conte.

After two years across the pond, she returned to the UK where she worked as a political assistant to Labour minister Lord Harry Walston.

In 1973, Baroness Boothroyd became an MP herself at the fifth attempt, successfully securing the seat of West Bromwich for the Labour Party.

She is believed to have said this would have been her final attempt at entering Parliament – but won the contest with a majority of more than 8,000 votes.

She became one of 27 female MPs in the House of Commons at the time.

Baroness Boothroyd went on to become an assistant government whip for the Labour Party and kept a keen eye on ensuring MPs were in the Commons to vote on key pieces of legislation.

In 1975, she was elected a member of the European Parliament and became a vocal advocate of the common market.

Baroness Boothroyd’s political influence continued to grow after she was appointed to both the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Speaker’s Panel of Chairmen in 1979.

In 1987, the Labour MP was appointed deputy Speaker of the Commons – a position she would hold until 1992 when Bernard “Jack” Weatherill announced he was stepping down as Speaker.

By this time, Baroness Boothroyd had proven herself to hold great authority and conviction and was persuaded by some Labour colleagues to run to replace him.

Her appointment was contested by Conservative MP John Brooke, but Baroness Boothroyd won a vote by 372 votes to 238.

With the result, Baroness Boothroyd became the first female Speaker of the Commons and the first opposition MP to be elected to the role, having secured overwhelming support from both sides of the House.

“Elect me for what I am, and not for what I was born,” she said in her acceptance speech.

During her first time in the chair as Speaker, she was asked by then Burnley MP Peter Pike: “What do we call you?”

“Call me Madam,” she replied – to a packed Commons chamber.

Baroness Boothroyd modernised the role of Speaker, refusing to wear the traditional wig – a decision which was approved by MPs – and closing Prime Minister’s Questions every week with her catchphrase: “Time’s up!”

She stuck to the rules and had a no-nonsense style, quickly becoming a household name as rolling television coverage of the Commons began.

Baroness Boothroyd once reminded MPs that her role was “to ensure that the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their points of view”.

But she only ever ejected one MP during her time in the role – then DUP leader Ian Paisley who had accused a minister of lying and was subsequently suspended for 10 days.

She also controversially banned women from breastfeeding during select committee hearings.

Baroness Boothroyd presided over fiery debates on the European Union but described Nelson Mandela’s state visit and parliament address in 1996 as “the most memorable moment of my time as Speaker”.

Mr Mandela had taken her hand before they entered Westminster Hall together for a ceremony.

Baroness Boothroyd’s term of office coincided with Conservative prime minister Sir John Major’s attempts to defend his slim majority and Labour’s landslide election win in 1997.

Her 1997 re-election was unopposed.

Baroness Boothroyd stood down from her position as Speaker in 2000 after eight years in the chair presiding over MPs with a firm manner and sense of humour.

During this time, she spoke twice in the Indian Lok Sabha, once in the Russian Duma and in most European parliaments.

She also welcomed numerous political figures to Parliament, including former French president Jacques Chirac.

Ahead of delivering her farewell speech in the Commons, parliamentary staff lined up in a row to clap her out.

Her personal motto as Speaker was “I speak to serve” and she was insistent that it is the task of parliament to control the government of the day.

Baroness Boothroyd had been critical of moves towards a more presidential style, warning in her farewell speech on 26 July that prime ministers “can easily be toppled” and that parliament “is the chief forum of the nation – today, tomorrow and, I hope, for ever”.

In 2001, she was created a life peer, taking as her title Baroness Boothroyd of Sandwell in the West Midlands.

She published her autobiography in the same year.

In 2005, she was given an Order of Merit by Queen Elizabeth II – given to those “who have provided especially eminent service in the armed forces or particularly distinguished themselves in science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture”.

Baroness Boothroyd was not afraid to speak her mind on political matters after her retirement.

In 2018, she dramatically increased pressure on then Speaker John Bercow to honour a pledge to quit later that year.

She said he should step down in mid-parliament as a “courtesy” to MPs and not wait until the next general election.

In April 2019, Baroness Boothroyd spoke during a rally held by The People’s Vote, calling for another Brexit referendum

While in an interview in 2021, she said PMQs had “deteriorated a great deal in the last few years”, adding: “It’s not the quality that it used to be.”

Speaking as the partygate scandal unfolded, she added: “The prime minister is there to answer questions about what the government is doing, why it is not doing it.

“I don’t say prime ministers have got the answer to every question. Of course, they haven’t. But at least they’ve got to have a stab at it and make an attempt and it is not [happening] these days.”

On her retirement as Speaker, then Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy stated: “As the first woman Speaker, her place in the history books is assured.”

On Baroness Boothroyd’s 90th birthday, Tony Blair said he had been “somewhat in awe” of the former Speaker after she had told him off when, as a young MP, he had entered Parliament’s terrace wearing a sweatshirt and jeans.

While Sir John Major said the Dewsbury-born politician had entered “the Pantheon of National Treasures”.

Baroness Boothroyd died unmarried and with no children, having prioritised her work.

To this day, she remains the only female Speaker of the House of Commons in over 700 years.

UK

Banksy art theft lands burglar with 13-month prison sentence

Published

2 hours ago

November 14, 2025

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Banksy art theft lands burglar with 13-month prison sentence

A man has been given a 13-month prison sentence for stealing Banksy’s famous Girl With Balloon print from a London gallery.

Larry Fraser, 49, of Beckton, east London, was sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty to one count of non-residential burglary at Kingston Crown Court on 9 October.

The print, one of the street artist‘s most famous, was stolen from a gallery in New Cavendish Street in London at around 11pm on 8 September last year.

Fraser used a hammer to smash his way through a glass entrance door at the Grove Gallery before stealing the artwork, which was valued at £270,000.

He concealed his identity with a mask, hooded jacket and gloves, but the Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad was able to identify him and track him to a location streets away.

He was also caught on CCTV loading the artwork into a van before fleeing the scene.

A second man, 54-year-old James Love, was accused of being the getaway driver in the burglary, but cleared of stealing the print.

Fraser was arrested at his home address on 10 September, within 48 hours of the burglary, and charged the next day.

Officers were able to recover the artwork after executing a warrant on the Isle of Dogs. It has now been returned to the gallery.

Fraser pleaded to the court that he was struggling with a historic drug debt and agreed to steal the work “under a degree of pressure and fear”.

He said he did not know what he would be stealing, nor its value, until the day of the offence.

Jeffrey Israel, defending, said Fraser lived with his mother as her principal carer, and had only managed to “break his cycle of drug addiction” after his last prison sentence.

He added that it “would take a bold advocate” to suggest that the value of the print had increased by the burglary, but insisted “that is probably the reality”.

Judge Anne Brown was unmoved, however, and said the offence was “simply too serious” for a suspended sentence.

“This is a brazen and serious non-domestic burglary,” she said.

“Whilst you did not know the precise value of the print, you obviously understood it to be very valuable.”

She added: “Whilst I am sure there was a high degree of planning, this was not your plan.”

However, Fraser may be eligible for immediate release due to time spent on electronic curfew.

Detective Chief Inspector Scott Mather, who led the Met’s investigation, said: “Banksy’s Girl With Balloon is known across the world – and we reacted immediately to not just bring Fraser to justice but also reunite the artwork with the gallery.

“The speed at which this took place is a testament to the tireless work of the flying squad officers – in total it took just four days for normality to be restored.”

The 2004 artwork was part of a £1.5m collection of 13 Banksy pieces at the gallery.

Gallery manager, Lindor Mehmetaj, said it was “remarkable” for the piece to have been recovered after the theft.

The 29-year-old said: “I was completely, completely shocked, but in a very, very positive way when the Flying Squad showed me the actual artwork.

“It’s very hard to put into words, the weight that comes off your shoulders.”

UK

‘Incredibly dangerous’ sex offender Chao Xu jailed – as police say there could be hundreds more victims

Published

2 hours ago

November 14, 2025

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'Incredibly dangerous' sex offender Chao Xu jailed - as police say there could be hundreds more victims

An “incredibly dangerous” sex offender who drugged his victims and installed spy cameras around his home has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years – as police appeal for hundreds more potential victims to come forward.

Warning: This article contains details of sexual offences

Chinese national Chao Xu, 33, has been described by police as “one of the most prolific offenders ever uncovered” by the Metropolitan Police.

Xu, who was a law postgraduate student at the University of Greenwich in London between 2015 and 2016, ran his own recruitment business and targeted victims at networking events at his home.

He invented his “Spring of Life” cocktail, a mix of alcohols and Chinese herbal medicines, to sedate guests, and planted spy cameras in items including air fresheners, sanitary packaging and speakers.

Police found thousands of pictures and videos, with some showing unconscious or incapacitated victims in his flat in Greenwich, south-east London.

Xu, who is from China but is believed to have been living in the UK since 2013, also covertly filmed women on their daily commutes at stations such as London Bridge in so-called upskirting incidents.

He pleaded guilty to 24 sex offences between 2021 and 2025 at Woolwich Crown Court in August relating to six victims, with two charges relating to a seventh woman left to lie on file.

Xu admitted four counts of rape, eight counts of assault by penetration, four counts of sexual assault, four counts of voyeurism, two counts of administering a substance with intent and two counts of operating equipment beneath the clothing of another without consent (commonly known as upskirting).

‘Incredibly dangerous man’

His Honour Judge Christopher Grout described Xu as an “incredibly dangerous man” who “took great enjoyment” from his offending.

“Your behaviour was calculated and planned, evidenced by the covert recording systems you had set up in your flats and the fact you had incapacitated a number of your victims by drugging them.

“You betrayed the trust of a number of women who you befriended in the most appalling ways imaginable,” he added.

Could be hundreds of victims

Another 11 alleged victims have since come forward but the Metropolitan Police believe there are hundreds more in the UK and China, with offences committed in workplaces, public spaces and overseas.

Acting Detective Superintendent Lewis Sanderson described Xu as one of the “most prolific” offenders the force has ever investigated, adding that his “crimes were calculated, sustained, and devastating”.

Speaking outside the court on Friday, he said: “Chao Xu was a prolific and predatory sexual offender who committed some of the most cowardly and abhorrent crimes imaginable. His actions caused deep and lasting harm.”

“The number of victims of sexual assault, voyeurism and upskirting is believed to be in the hundreds. This includes individuals filmed without consent in Xu’s flat at his workplace and in public spaces.

“That is why today I’m making a direct appeal. If you believe you may have been a victim of Chao Xu, or if you have any information that could assist our investigation, please come forward. You will be listened to. You will be believed and you will be supported.”

He said all of the sexual assault victims were Chinese women, aged between 18 and 30, while the voyeurism victims are also young females but of different ethnicities.

He added that there will be women who may not know they are victims of his crimes, as they may have been drugged by Xu.

Detectives were alerted to Xu’s crimes after he held a networking event in Greenwich in June.

When one of the women who attended became unwell, Xu offered to let her stay, before raping her several times, the Metropolitan Police said.

They later found he had drugged her with substances known to cause drowsiness and incapacitation.

The case included six million messages on WeChat, the popular Chinese messaging app, most of them in Mandarin, which all had to be checked with the help of a translator.

UK

Does the government have the power to push through unpopular decisions?

Published

5 hours ago

November 14, 2025

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Does the government have the power to push through unpopular decisions?

Back in June, it was the U-turn on welfare that raised eyebrows. Now it’s a perceived volte-face on tax.

After weeks of suggestions that income tax may have to rise in the forthcoming budget, government sources have confirmed that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will do no such thing.

The government is flip-flopping in a febrile environment. Markets are sensitive to levels of government debt, which climbed by 17.9% between 2019 and 2024.

In the context of an ageing population, slow growth and comparatively high inflation, there are concerns that UK debt is on an unsustainable path. Markets want consolidation – for the chancellor to get a grip on tax and spending.

Ms Reeves, with her insistence on iron-clad fiscal rules, promised discipline. But flip-flopping doesn’t look like discipline. Markets are letting their thoughts be known – and their thoughts matter because the government borrows from them.

Government bond yields, the interest rate demanded on UK debt, jumped amid fears that the government is not prepared to face down opposition from its own backbenchers, from political opponents or the public.

The 30-year gilt was up 16 basis points after its worst day since July, when the chancellor was seen crying in the Commons. The 10-year gilt was up 13 points.

Borrowing costs are already costing the country more than £100bn a year – about 10% of total spending. The more money the government is spending on interest, the less flexibility it has to spend more in other areas, like schools or hospitals.

It appears that Ms Reeves has changed tack because official forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), whose forecasts underpin the budget, show the fiscal black hole is closer to £20bn, rather than the £30bn first feared. It means she can take less radical steps to raise money.

Markets are pleased that the chancellor is sticking to her rules, but they are viewing this move with scepticism.

Many view the OBR forecasts as overly optimistic. These are smaller tax rises to tackle a smaller problem on paper, but is what’s written on that paper credible?

Andrew Goodwin, of Oxford Economics, said: “If investors suspect the government is leaning on convenient assumptions, they may assume more trouble ahead – and yields could rise further.”

Then there’s the speculation over which taxes could rise. Markets have a clear preference towards income tax because, unlike the increase in national insurance contributions on businesses in the last budget, it’s not inflationary.

And alternative sources, such as tweaks to stamp duty or EV taxes, are less dependable revenue raisers. “Avoiding the politically sensitive income tax lever implies less willingness to tackle the structural deficit later,” said Gordon Shannon, of TwentyFour Asset Management.

Traders are eyeing the long-term trajectory of the UK, and they are bristling at short-term fixes and tweaks that don’t address the fundamental fiscal position.

There are those in policy who are also frustrated at the approach, which has seen the government pick and drop policies to meet fiscal rules by fine margin.

It is difficult to find any political vision in it all.