Speaker of the British House of Commons election, 1992

Speaker of the British House of Commons, 1992

← 1983 27 April 1992 2000 →
Candidate Betty Boothroyd Peter Brooke Party Labour Conservative Popular vote 372 238 Percentage 60.98% 39.02%
Speaker before election Bernard Weatherill Conservative Elected Speaker Betty Boothroyd Labour

Bernard Weatherill
Conservative

Betty Boothroyd
Labour

The 1992 election of the Speaker of the House of Commons occurred on 27 April 1992, in the first sitting of the House of Commons following the 1992 general election and the retirement of the previous Speaker Bernard Weatherill. The election resulted in the election of Labour MP Betty Boothroyd, who was the first ever woman to become Speaker. This was at a time when the Conservative Party had a majority in the House of Commons. It was also the first contested election (with more than one willing nominee) since William Morrison defeated Major James Milner on 31 October 1951, although Geoffrey De Freitas had been nominated against his wishes in the 1971 election.

The election was presided over by the Father of the House, Sir Edward Heath, and was conducted by means of a conventional parliamentary motion, originally to elect Peter Brooke. He was proposed and seconded by Conservative MPs Sir Michael Neubert and Sir Tom Arnold respectively. When Brooke had made his own speech submitting his candidacy, Conservative MP John Biffen moved an amendment to the original motion to elect Betty Boothroyd, who was then seconded by Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody. Boothroyd then gave her own speech submitting her candidacy.

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