Father of the House | |
---|---|
since 5 July 2024 | |
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.
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]
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
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.
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[update], 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[update], 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.
Peer | Most senior title in the peerage of |
Entitled to seat in Lords as (if with a different peerage or as an elected peer) |
Party affiliation | Time served (from when first taking seat) |
Tenure | Became longest-serving member |
Tenure as longest-serving member |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Charles Bennet, 4th Earl of Tankerville | Great Britain | - | - | 24 November 1767–10 December 1822[16] | 55 years, 16 days | ||
Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon | Scotland | Scottish Representative Peer (1768–1784)[a] 1st Earl of Norwich |
Tory | 20 January 1768–17 June 1827[17] | 59 years, 148 days | 10 December 1822 | 4 years, 189 days |
William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam | Great Britain | - | Whig | 9 January 1770–8 February 1833[18] | 63 years, 30 days | 17 June 1827 | 5 years, 236 days |
George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont | Great Britain | - | Whig | 15 February 1773–11 November 1837[19] | 64 years, 269 days | 8 February 1833 | 4 years, 276 days |
John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland | England | - | Tory | 8 February 1780–15 December 1841[20] | 61 years, 310 days | 11 November 1837 | 4 years, 34 days |
Henry Nevill, 2nd Earl of Abergavenny | Great Britain | - | Whig | 23 January 1787–27 March 1843[21] | 56 years, 63 days | 15 December 1841 | 1 year, 102 days |
William Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart | Scotland | Scottish Representative Peer (1788–1812)[a] 1st Viscount Cathcart 1st Earl Cathcart |
- | 1 February 1788–16 June 1843[22] | 55 years, 135 days | 27 March 1843 | 81 days |
George Boyle, 4th Earl of Glasgow | Scotland | Scottish Representative Peer (1790–1818)[a] 1st Baron Ross |
Tory | 25 November 1790–6 July 1843[23] | 52 years, 223 days | 16 June 1843 | 20 days |
George Rice, 3rd Baron Dynevor | Great Britain | - | Tory | 17 April 1793–9 April 1852[24] | 58 years, 358 days | 6 July 1843 | 8 years, 278 days |
Edward Digby, 2nd Earl Digby | Great Britain | - | - | 14 May 1794–12 May 1856[25] | 61 years, 364 days | 9 April 1852 | 4 years, 33 days |
William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst | United Kingdom | 2nd Baron Amherst (Great Britain, from 1797) 1st Earl Amherst |
- | 8 November 1797–13 March 1857[26] | 59 years, 125 days | 12 May 1856 | 305 days |
John Rushout, 2nd Baron Northwick | Great Britain | - | - | 17 April 1801–20 January 1859[27] | 57 years, 278 days | 13 March 1857 | 1 year, 313 days |
Thomas de Grey, 2nd Earl de Grey | United Kingdom | 3rd Baron Grantham (Great Britain, from 1803) 2nd Earl de Grey |
Tory | 23 May 1803–14 November 1859[28] | 56 years, 175 days | 20 January 1859 | 298 days |
Robert Haldane-Duncan, 1st Earl of Camperdown | United Kingdom | 2nd Viscount Duncan (Great Britain, from 1806) 1st Earl of Camperdown |
- | 15 April 1806–22 December 1859[29] | 53 years, 251 days | 14 November 1859 | 38 days |
George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen | Scotland | Scottish Representative Peer (1806–1818)[a] 1st Viscount Gordon |
Tory (1806–1834) Conservative (1834–1846; Peelite: 1846–1859) Liberal (1859-1860) |
17 December 1806–14 December 1860[30] | 53 years, 363 days | 22 December 1859 | 358 days |
Thomas Hay-Drummond, 11th Earl of Kinnoull | Scotland | 4th Baron Hay of Pedwardine (Great Britain)[a] |
Conservative | 11 March 1807–18 February 1866[31] | 58 years, 344 days | 14 December 1860 | 5 years, 66 days |
Augustus FitzGerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster | Ireland | 3rd Viscount Leinster (Great Britain) |
- | 3 February 1813–10 October 1874[32] | 61 years, 249 days | 18 February 1866 | 8 years, 234 days |
Henry Gage, 4th Viscount Gage | Ireland | 3rd Baron Gage (Great Britain) |
- | 18 February 1813–20 January 1877[33] | 63 years, 337 days | 10 October 1874 | 2 years, 102 days |
Thomas Egerton, 2nd Earl of Wilton | United Kingdom | Conservative | 22 June 1821–7 March 1882[34] | 60 years, 258 days | 20 January 1877 | 5 years, 46 days | |
Stephen Moore, 3rd Earl Mount Cashell | Ireland | Irish Representative Peer | - | 19 February 1827–10 October 1883[35] | 56 years, 233 days | 7 March 1882 | 1 year, 217 days |
Henry Pelham, 3rd Earl of Chichester | United Kingdom | - | 26 February 1827–15 March 1886[36] | 59 years, 17 days | 10 October 1883 | 2 years, 156 days | |
John Freeman-Mitford, 1st Earl of Redesdale | United Kingdom | 2nd Baron Redesdale (United Kingdom, from 1830) 1st Earl of Redesdale (United Kingdom, from 1877) |
- | 22 February 1830–2 May 1886[37] | 56 years, 69 days | 15 March 1886 | 48 days |
John Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney | United Kingdom | 3rd Viscount Sydney (Great Britain, from 1831) 1st Earl Sydney |
Liberal | 25 February 1831–14 February 1890[38] | 58 years, 354 days | 2 May 1886 | 3 years, 288 days |
William King-Noel, 1st Earl of Lovelace | United Kingdom | 8th Baron King (Great Britain, from 1833) 1st Earl of Lovelace |
- | 26 July 1833–29 December 1893[38] | 60 years, 156 days | 14 February 1890 | 3 years, 318 days |
Hungerford Crewe, 3rd Baron Crewe | United Kingdom | - | - | 15 February 1836–3 January 1894[38] | 57 years, 322 days | 29 December 1893 | 5 days |
William Murray, 4th and 3rd Earl of Mansfield | Great Britain | - | Conservative | 12 May 1840–1 August 1898[38] | 58 years, 81 days | 3 January 1894 | 4 years, 210 days |
Harry Chichester, 2nd Baron Templemore | United Kingdom | - | - | 15 June 1842–10 June 1906[38] | 63 years, 360 days | 1 August 1898 | 7 years, 313 days |
Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester | United Kingdom | - | - | 29 April 1844–24 January 1909[38] | 64 years, 270 days | 10 June 1906 | 2 years, 228 days |
Horatio Nelson, 3rd Earl Nelson | United Kingdom | - | Conservative | 4 February 1845–25 February 1913[39] | 68 years, 21 days | 24 January 1909 | 4 years, 32 days |
Henry Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Earl of Ducie | United Kingdom | - | Liberal | 22 July 1853–28 October 1921[38] | 68 years, 98 days | 25 February 1913 | 8 years, 245 days |
George Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry | England | - | Conservative | 6 June 1859–13 March 1930[40] | 70 years, 280 days | 28 October 1921 | 8 years, 136 days |
Robert Devereux, 16th Viscount Hereford | England | - | - | 13 June 1864–27 March 1930[41] | 65 years, 287 days | 13 March 1930 | 14 days |
Charles Gordon, 11th Marquess of Huntly | Scotland | 3rd Baron Meldrum (United Kingdom)[a] | Liberal | 3 May 1869–20 February 1937[42] | 67 years, 293 days | 27 March 1930 | 6 years, 330 days |
Archibald Kennedy, 3rd Marquess of Ailsa | United Kingdom | - | - | 4 June 1872–9 April 1938[43] | 65 years, 309 days | 20 February 1937 | 1 year, 48 days |
Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught and Strathearn | United Kingdom | - | - | 8 June 1874–16 January 1942[44] | 67 years, 222 days | 9 April 1938 | 3 years, 282 days |
John Norton, 5th Baron Grantley | Great Britain | - | - | 24 May 1878–5 August 1943[45] | 65 years, 73 days | 16 January 1942 | 1 year, 201 days |
Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale | United Kingdom | - | - | 31 May 1883–13 April 1944[46] | 60 years, 318 days | 5 August 1943 | 252 days |
Aldred Lumley, 10th Earl of Scarbrough | England | - | - | 19 February 1885–4 March 1945[47] | 60 years, 13 days | 13 April 1944 | 325 days |
Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe | United Kingdom | 2nd Baron Houghton (United Kingdom, from 1885) 1st Earl of Crewe 1st Marquess of Crewe (United Kingdom, from 1911) |
Liberal | 28 January 1886–20 June 1945[48] | 59 years, 143 days | 4 March 1945 | 108 days |
George Rous, 3rd Earl of Stradbroke | United Kingdom | - | Conservative | 4 March 1886–20 December 1947[49] | 61 years, 291 days | 20 June 1945 | 2 years, 183 days |
Charles FitzRoy, 4th Baron Southampton | Great Britain | - | - | 23 January 1891–7 December 1958[50] | 67 years, 287 days | 20 December 1947 | 10 years, 352 days |
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of Shaftesbury | England | - | - | 4 June 1891–25 March 1961[51] | 69 years, 294 days | 7 December 1958 | 2 years, 108 days |
Henry Paulet, 16th Marquess of Winchester | England | - | - | 18 June 1900–28 June 1962[52] | 62 years, 10 days | 25 March 1961 | 1 year, 95 days |
Bertram Gurdon, 2nd Baron Cranworth | United Kingdom | - | - | 12 June 1903–4 January 1964[53] | 60 years, 206 days | 28 June 1962 | 1 year, 190 days |
Ralph Stonor, 5th Baron Camoys | England | - | - | 13 February 1906–3 August 1968[54] | 62 years, 172 days | 4 January 1964 | 4 years, 212 days |
George Parker, 7th Earl of Macclesfield | Great Britain | - | - | 28 February 1910–20 September 1975[55] | 65 years, 204 days | 3 August 1968 | 7 years, 48 days |
Roger Grey, 10th Earl of Stamford | England | - | - | 15 January 1918–18 August 1976[56] | 58 years, 216 days | 20 September 1975 | 333 days |
William Compton, 6th Marquess of Northampton | United Kingdom | - | Liberal | 11 March 1919–30 January 1978[57] | 58 years, 325 days | 18 August 1976 | 1 year, 165 days |
Randolph Stewart, 12th Earl of Galloway | Scotland | 6th Baron Stewart of Garlies (Great Britain, from 1920) 12th Earl of Galloway |
- | 28 April 1920–13 June 1978[58] | 58 years, 46 days | 30 January 1978 | 134 days |
Arthur Hill, 7th Marquess of Downshire | Ireland | 7th Earl of Hillsborough (Great Britain) |
- | 18 May 1920–28 March 1989[59] | 68 years, 314 days | 13 June 1978 | 10 years, 288 days |
Jeffery Amherst, 5th Earl Amherst | United Kingdom | - | Liberal Democrat | 17 May 1927–4 March 1993[60][61] | 65 years, 291 days | 28 March 1989 | 3 years, 341 days |
Dominick Browne, 4th Baron Oranmore and Browne | Ireland | 2nd Baron Mereworth (United Kingdom) |
- | 26 July 1927 – 11 November 1999[b][62][63] | 72 years, 108 days | 4 March 1993 | 6 years, 252 days |
Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu | United Kingdom | Elected to remain in October 1999. | Conservative | 7 November 1947–31 August 2015[64] | 67 years, 297 days | 11 November 1999[c] | 15 years, 293 days |
Bertram Bowyer, 2nd Baron Denham | United Kingdom | Elected to remain in October 1999. | Conservative | 13 December 1949–26 April 2021[d][67] | 71 years, 134 days | 31 August 2015 | 5 years, 238 days |
David Trefgarne, 2nd Baron Trefgarne | United Kingdom | Elected to remain in October 1999. | Conservative | 3 July 1962[68] | 62 years, 142 days | 26 April 2021 | 3 years, 210 days |
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