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Father of the House (United Kingdom)

The father of the House is a title that is bestowed on the member of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom who has the longest continuous service. If two or more members have the same length of current uninterrupted service, then whoever was sworn in earliest, as listed in Hansard, is named as Father of the House.[1]

The only formal duty of the father of the House is to preside over the election of the speaker of the House of Commons. However, the relevant Standing Order does not refer to this member by the title of "Father of the House", but instead to the longest-serving member of the House present who is not a minister of the Crown. Until 1971, the clerk of the House of Commons presided over the election of the Speaker. As the clerk is never a member, and therefore is not permitted to speak, he would silently stand and point at the Member who was to speak. However, this procedure broke down at the election of a new Speaker in 1971 and was changed upon the recommendation of a select committee.[2][failed verification]

Since the 2024 general election, Sir Edward Leigh has been Father of the House, having been an MP continuously for Gainsborough (previously Gainsborough and Horncastle) since 1983.[3] While other MPs such as Roger Gale and Jeremy Corbyn have also served continuously since 1983, Leigh was sworn in first.[4]

The previous Father was Sir Peter Bottomley,[5] who was an MP continuously from 1975 until he lost his seat to Labour's Beccy Cooper in the 2024 general election. Bottomley was the first Father to be unseated rather than retire or die in office.

History

Historically, the father of the House was not a clearly defined term, and it is not clear by what process it was used for individual Members. The first recorded usage of the term dates to 1788, in an obituary of Thomas Noel; it is also attested in an engraved portrait of Whitshed Keene by Charles Picart, from 1816. It may have been interpreted at various times as the oldest member, the member with the longest total service, the member with the longest unbroken service (the modern definition), or the member who entered the House longest ago. There is also some evidence that in the late 19th century, the position may have been elected. The modern definition was not settled upon until the late 1890s.[6]

After the Second World War, a convention arose that the father would normally be a member of the Select Committee on Privileges, but this lapsed following the establishment of the modern Standards and Privileges Committee in the 1990s.[6]

Among the twentieth-century fathers, there were several very prominent figures; four former Prime Ministers became Father of the House, and a fifth, Henry Campbell-Bannerman was simultaneously Father of the House and Prime Minister from May 1907 until soon before his death during April 1908. Almost all have been Privy Councillors.[6]

There has been criticism of the term Father of the House being used instead of Elder of the House as a relic of the "legacy of women’s historic under-representation in the House" and the way in which gendered language affected representation.[7][8]

To date, all holders of the position have been men.[6] In 2015 Harriet Harman described herself as the 'Mother of the House' as she was the longest continuously serving woman MP.[9] David Cameron referred to her as the Mother the week after,[10] and Theresa May referred to Harriet Harman as the Mother of the House in 2017.[11] Harman had in fact been the longest serving female MP since at least 2010. Following the 2024 general election and Harman's retirement, Diane Abbott became Mother of the House.[12] During speeches at the re-opening of Parliament after the 2024 general election, Diane Abbott was described as the "Mother of the House" by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and then Leader of the Opposition Rishi Sunak.[citation needed]

List of fathers of the House since 1899

This list covers all fathers of the House since W.W. Beach, the first to become Father after the modern approach (longest period of continuous service) was agreed in 1898.[6] Those who died as fathers are indicated by a †. Unseated is indicated by a U

Earlier "fathers"

This list covers all those who would have been considered Father of the House, by the modern definition, since an arbitrary date of 1701. Many of these will not have been considered "Father of the House" by contemporaries, and some men who were described as such are not listed here. These men served in the Parliament of England until the 1707 Acts of Union and from thereafter until the end of 1800 in the Parliament of Great Britain.

Longest-serving member of the House of Lords

The title 'Father of the House' is not used in the House of Lords.[6] The longest-serving member is recorded on the House website, though no duties or special distinctions are associated with the position.[13] As of 2024, the longest-serving member is The Lord Trefgarne (Conservative), who first took his seat on 3 July 1962[14] (having succeeded his father in the peerage in 1960 while still a minor). The House of Lords Act 1999 repealed the automatic right of hereditary peers to be members of the House of Lords; Trefgarne was one of those elected to continue as a member under section 2 of the Act.

As of 2024, the longest-serving life peer is The Baroness Cox (Crossbencher), who is also the longest-serving female member of the House. She first took her seat on 2 March 1983.[15]

The below table lists the longest continuously serving members of the Lords, in the order they achieved that status. Prior to 1898, the longest continuously-serving member of the House of Lords, as with his counterpart in the Commons, was not necessarily considered the senior-most member of that chamber.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Until 31 July 1963, when the Peerage Act 1963 came into effect, peers in the Peerage of Scotland did not have the automatic right to sit in the House of Lords unless they were also peers in the peerages of England, Great Britain or the United Kingdom.
  2. ^ Removed by the House of Lords Act 1999.
  3. ^ Though at their deaths (in 2007 and in 2018, respectively) the Earl Jellicoe and the Lord Carrington were the longest-serving peers, neither had had an unbroken tenure as both had automatically lost their seats on 11 November 1999, and had returned to the Lords the following week as life peers.[62][63]
  4. ^ Retired under the provisions of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014.

References

  1. ^ Moss, Stephen (2 May 2015). "Labour's Dennis Skinner at 83: 'Father of the House? You must be joking'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  2. ^ "The Speaker" (PDF). Westminster, United Kingdom: House of Commons Information Office. September 2003. pp. 4–5.
  3. ^ "Rt Hon Sir Edward Leigh MP". Gainsborough Conservatives. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Members Sworn". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Hansard Digitisation Project. 16 June 1983. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  5. ^ Mata, William (23 May 2024). "Who is the Father of the House? Sir Peter Bottomley, elected in 1975, to stand once more in 2024". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Kelly, Richard (6 October 2016). "Father of the House: House of Commons Background Paper SN06399".
  7. ^ Childs, Sarah (July 2016). "The Good Parliament" (PDF). Economic & Social Research Council: 17. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  8. ^ "A New Parliamentary Institution? The Mother of the House & the Retirement of the Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP". Centre on Constitutional Change. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  9. ^ Hansard, Volume 596. "debated on Monday 18 May 2015, Column 6". UK Parliament. Retrieved 15 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Hansard, Volume 596. "debated on Monday 27 May 2015, Column 43". UK Parliament. Retrieved 15 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ "Election of Speaker". Hansard. UK: Commons. 13 June 2017.
  12. ^ "Abbott hailed as 'trailblazer' as she becomes Mother of the House". The Independent. 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  13. ^ Parliament.UK – House of Lords FAQS – Membership and principal office holders at parliament.uk
  14. ^ "Lord Trefgarne (Hansard, 3 July 1962)". UK Parliament. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  15. ^ "Baroness Cox (Hansard, 2 March 1983)". api.parliament.uk.
  16. ^ "Die Lunae, 15 February 1773". Journal of the House of Lords. 33. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 515. 1773 [15 February 1773]. hdl:2027/mdp.39015056717534. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  17. ^ "Die Martis, 8 February 1780". Journal of the House of Lords. 36. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 29. 1780 [8 February 1780]. hdl:2027/mdp.39015056717872. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  18. ^ "Die Martis, 23 January 1787". Journal of the House of Lords. 37. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 581. 1787 [23 January 1787]. hdl:2027/mdp.39015056717864. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  19. ^ "Die Veneris, 1 February 1788". Journal of the House of Lords. 38. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 66. 1788 [1 February 1788]. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  20. ^ "Die Jovis, 25 November 1790". Journal of the House of Lords. 39. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 5. 1790 [25 November 1790]. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Die Mercurii, 17 April 1793". Journal of the House of Lords. 39. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 615. 1793 [17 April 1793]. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  22. ^ "Die Mercurii, 14 May 1794". Journal of the House of Lords. 40. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 177. 1794 [14 May 1794]. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  23. ^ "Die Mercurii, 8 November 1797". Journal of the House of Lords. 41. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 426. 1797 [8 November 1797]. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  24. ^ "Die Veneris, 17 April 1801". Journal of the House of Lords. 43. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 101. 1801 [17 April 1801]. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  25. ^ "Die Lunae, 23 May 1803". Journal of the House of Lords. 44. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 196. 1803 [23 May 1803]. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  26. ^ "Die Martis, 15 April 1806". Journal of the House of Lords. 46. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 544. 1806 [15 April 1806]. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  27. ^ "Die Mercurii, 17 December 1806". Journal of the House of Lords. 46. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 6. 1806 [17 December 1806]. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  28. ^ "Die Mercurii, 11 March 1807". Journal of the House of Lords. 46. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 104. 1807 [11 March 1807]. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  29. ^ "Die Mercurii, 3 February 1813". Journal of the House of Lords. 49. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 47. 1813 [3 February 1813]. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  30. ^ "Die Jovis, 18 February 1813". Journal of the House of Lords. 49. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 93. 1813 [18 February 1813]. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  31. ^ "Die Veneris, 22 June 1821". Journal of the House of Lords. 54. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 533. 1821 [22 June 1821]. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  32. ^ "Die Lunae, 19 February 1827". Journal of the House of Lords. 59. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 80. 1827 [19 February 1827]. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  33. ^ "Die Lunae, 26 February 1827". Journal of the House of Lords. 59. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 101–102. 1827 [26 February 1827]. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  34. ^ "Die Lunae, 22 February 1830". Journal of the House of Lords. 62. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office: 31–34. 1830 [22 February 1830]. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  35. ^ a b c d e f g Barker, George F. R.; Dauglish, Milverton G. (1886). Historical and Political Handbook. London: Chapman & Hall. p. 120.
  36. ^ "Minutes". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 4 February 1845. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  37. ^ "House of Lords". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 6 June 1859. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  38. ^ "Minutes". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 13 June 1864. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  39. ^ "Minutes". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 3 May 1869. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  40. ^ "Minutes". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 4 June 1872. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  41. ^ "New Peer". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 8 June 1874. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  42. ^ "Minutes". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 24 May 1878. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  43. ^ "Minutes". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 31 May 1883. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  44. ^ "Minutes". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 19 February 1885. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  45. ^ "Sat First". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 28 January 1886. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  46. ^ "Minutes". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 4 March 1886. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  47. ^ "Sat First". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 23 February 1891. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  48. ^ "Sat First". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 4 June 1891. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  49. ^ "Sat First". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 18 June 1900. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  50. ^ "The Lord Cranworth". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 12 June 1903. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  51. ^ "Sat First". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 13 February 1906. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  52. ^ "Preamble". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 28 February 1910. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  53. ^ "Preamble". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 15 January 1918. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  54. ^ "Preamble". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 11 March 1919. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  55. ^ "From Minutes of April 28". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 29 April 1920. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  56. ^ "Marquess of Downshire". UK Parliament. 18 May 1920. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  57. ^ "Preamble". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 17 May 1927. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  58. ^ "Earl of Amherst". UK Parliament. House of Lords. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  59. ^ "Preamble". Hansard Archive 1803–2005. 26 July 1927. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  60. ^ "Lord Oranmore and Browne". UK Parliament. House of Lords. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  61. ^ "Lord Montagu of Beaulieu". UK Parliament. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  62. ^ "Lord Jellicoe Of Southampton, Volume 607: debated on Tuesday 23 November 1999". Hansard. UK Parliament. 23 November 1999. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  63. ^ "Lord Carington Of Upton, Volume 607: debated on Wednesday 17 November 1999". Hansard. UK Parliament. 17 November 1999. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  64. ^ "Lord Denham (Hansard, 13 December 1949)". UK Parliament. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  65. ^ "House Of Lords, Volume 241". Hansard. 3 July 1962. Retrieved 24 December 2023.

External links