Betty Boothroyd, 1st female UK Commons speaker, dies at 93

LONDON (AP) — The first — and so far only — female speaker of Britain’s House of Commons has died at age 93. Parliamentary authorities said Betty Boothroyd died Sunday at a hospital in Cambridge in southern England. Boothroyd was elected Commons speaker in 1992 and presided over its often raucous debates with no-nonsense humor until 2000. She dropped the tradition of wearing a shoulder-length white wig and favored skirts over the knee-length breeches worn by her predecessors. Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said Monday that Boothroyd was “an inspiring woman” and “an inspirational politician.” Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said Boothroyd “was a truly outstanding speaker, presiding with great authority, warmth and wit, for which she had our deep respect and admiration.”