The first female Speaker of the House of Commons, Betty Boothroyd, has died aged 93. The flags in Parliament are being flown at half mast and a minute’s silence will be observed in the House of Commons on Monday.
She was known for modernising the Commons Speaker role by refusing to wear the traditional white wig. In doing so, she ensured that her successors would be able to choose whether to wear one or not. Yet she also banned MPs from breastfeeding their babies during select committee meetings, and put a similar ban in place in the Commons public gallery.
