Betty Boothroyd: The Autobiography

The woman Private Eye cruelly and unfairly accused of having "all the charm of carbon monoxide gas in an airtight room" airs her story with unstuffy grace and emphatic integrity. Much has been made of the large sum the publishers paid for her story, but Boothroyd chooses discretion over revelation in describing her path from model to Madame Speaker: while she discusses her brief experience training with the Tiller Girls, she includes no photographs from the period, and declines to elaborate further on the three proposals of marriage she claims to have received. Nevertheless, she assesses her political career and tenure on the Chair with splendid candour, from the fight to rid the Party of Militant, ding-dongs with party Whips, the "cash for questions" controversy, Nelson Mandela's first state visit to London, Gerry Adams' and Martin McGuinness' refusal to take the Parliamentary oath, to the fuss over her banning women MPs from breastfeeding during committee. Never constrained by doctrine but always fiercely loyal to her principles, her motto as Speaker, "I Speak to Serve", fittingly sums up the distinguished, quietly extraordinary political career of this much-loved Yorkshire terrier. --David Vincent

As the first woman Speaker in the Commons, she overcame significant obstacles in gaining the fierce reputation she held as she retired. In this excellent, moving and often funny book, she recounts some of the difficult times she had, faultlessly combining these stories with the often hilarious antics of her Westminster colleagues.

The ending to the book leaves the reader with a clear idea of how she intends to use her time in the House of Lords, as Baronness Boothroyd. She may not be as prominent a figure as she has been in the lower house, but I have no doubt that she will be just as principled.

This is an excellent book, and it will appeal to all - even those for whom the genre of 'politics' normally leaves cold. Superb - order it now!