On April 27, 1992, Betty Boothroyd became the first female elected to the position of Speaker of the British House of Commons. Prior to Boothroyd’s election, no female had been chosen as Speaker of the House in its 700-year history.

Betty Boothroyd first entered Parliament as a member of the Labor party in 1973, when she was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for West Bromwich. She proved incredibly popular, and her career took off from there. Just one year later, in 1974, she was appointed an assistant Government Whip, which is basically an "enforcer" for a political party. Boothroyd was also elected a Member of the European Parliament from 1975-1977. She served on several other committees, both in England and internationally. In 1987, Boothroyd became Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.

Boothroyd’s predecessor, Bernard Weatherill, had announced his impending retirement a long time before the 1992 general election. At that time, Boothroyd made known her interest in becoming the Speaker. On April 27, 1992, Betty Boothroyd was elected Speaker of the House of Commons, and became the first woman ever to hold the position. She was also the only British House of Commons Speaker elected in the 20th century not to be a member of the governing party, as the Conservative party held the majority at that time.

The Speaker presides over the House's debates, determining which members may speak, and is also responsible for maintaining order during debate. Conventionally, the Speaker remains non-partisan and renounces all affiliation with a political party when taking office. Furthermore, the Speaker does not vote, except to break ties.

Boothroyd retired in 2000. She is still the only female to serve as Speaker of the British House of Commons.