| Father of the House | |
|---|---|
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| House of Commons of the United Kingdom | |
| Member of | House of Commons |
| Seat | Westminster |
| First holder | William Wither Bramston Beach c. 1899 |
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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "The Speaker" (PDF). Westminster, United Kingdom: House of Commons Information Office. September 2003. pp. 4–5.
- ^ "Rt Hon Sir Edward Leigh MP". Gainsborough Conservatives. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
- ^ "Members Sworn". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Hansard Digitisation Project. 16 June 1983. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ 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.