Father of the House is a term that has by tradition been unofficially bestowed on certain members of some national legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. In some legislatures the term refers to the oldest member, but in others it refers the longest-serving member. The term Mother of the House or Mother of Parliament is also found, although the usage varies between countries. It is used simply as the female alternative to Father of the House, being applied when the relevant member is a woman.
Contents
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United Kingdom 1
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House of Commons 1.1
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House of Lords 1.2
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House of Commons of Northern Ireland (defunct) 1.3
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Australia 2
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Canada 3
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Germany 4
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Israel 5
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Ireland 6
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New Zealand 7
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Norway 8
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Russia 9
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Finland 10
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Sweden 11
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Serbia 12
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See also 13
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References 14
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External links 15
United Kingdom
House of Commons
The Father of the House is a title that is by tradition bestowed on the senior Member of the House of Commons who has the longest unbroken service.[1] If two or more MPs have the same length of current uninterrupted service, then whoever was sworn in earliest at its commencement, as listed in Hansard, is named Father.
In the House of Commons, the sole mandatory duty of the Father of the House is to preside over the election of a new Speaker whenever that office becomes vacant. The relevant Standing Order does not refer to this member by the title "Father of the House", referring instead to the longest-serving member of the House present who is not a Minister of the Crown (meaning that if the Father is absent or a government minister, the next person in line presides).
The current Father of the House of Commons is Sir Peter Tapsell, Conservative MP for Louth and Horncastle, who began his continuous service from the 1966 general election. He has announced that he will not seek re-election at the next General Election.
Should Tapsell cease to be a Member of the House of Commons, MPs with continuous service from the 1970 general election will become eligible to be Father of the House. The members with this length of service are: Sir Gerald Kaufman, Kenneth Clarke, Michael Meacher and Dennis Skinner (listed according to the order in which they took the oath after the 1970 election).[2][3]
The Father of the House is not necessarily the sitting MP with the earliest date of first election: Sir Peter Tapsell was first elected in 1959, and is the only remaining 1950s MP, but lost his seat in 1964 and was out of Parliament until 1966; this meant that Alan Williams was Father of the House until his retirement at the 2010 general election by virtue of his continuous service since the 1964 general election. Michael Foot, as the only remaining MP from the 1945 election between 1987 and 1992, was never Father of the House because he was out of Parliament between 1955 and a by-election in 1960. Similarly, though Sir Winston Churchill was first elected in 1900, he did not become Father of the House until 1959 because he lost his seat in 1922, not returning to the Commons until 1924.
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman was simultaneously Father of the House and Prime Minister from May 1907 until shortly before his death in April 1908.[1]
Name
|
Entered House
|
Became Father
|
Left House
|
Party
|
Constituency
|
Sir John Fagg
|
1654
|
1701
|
1701
|
|
|
Steyning
|
Thomas Turgis
|
1659
|
1701
|
1704
|
|
|
Gatton
|
Sir Christopher Musgrave, 4th Baronet
|
1661
|
1704
|
1704
|
|
|
Westmorland
|
Thomas Strangways
|
1673
|
1704
|
1713
|
|
|
Dorset
|
Sir Richard Onslow
|
1679
|
1713
|
1715
|
|
Whig
|
Guildford (1713–14)
Surrey (1714–15)
|
Thomas Erle
|
1679
|
1715
|
1718
|
|
Whig
|
Wareham
|
Edward Vaughan
|
1679
|
1718
|
1718
|
|
Whig
|
Cardiganshire
|
Richard Vaughan
|
1685
|
1718
|
1724
|
|
Whig
|
Carmarthen
|
Lord William Powlett
|
1689
|
1724
|
1729
|
|
Tory
|
Winchester
|
Sir Justinian Isham, 2nd Baronet
|
1694
|
1729
|
1730
|
|
Tory
|
Northamptonshire
|
Sir Charles Turner, 1st Baronet, of Warham
|
1695
|
1730
|
1738
|
|
Tory
|
King's Lynn
|
Sir Roger Bradshaigh
|
1695
|
1738
|
1747
|
|
Tory
|
Wigan
|
Sir Edward Ashe
|
1695
|
1747
|
1747
|
|
Tory
|
Heytesbury
|
Sir Thomas Cartwright
|
1701
|
1747
|
1748
|
|
Tory
|
Northamptonshire
|
Sir Richard Shuttleworth
|
1705
|
1748
|
1749
|
|
Tory
|
Preston
|
Phillips Gybbon
|
1707
|
1749
|
1762
|
|
Whig
|
Rye
|
Sir John Rushout, 4th Baronet
|
1713
|
1762
|
1768
|
|
Tory
|
Evesham
|
William Aislabie
|
1721
|
1768
|
1781
|
|
Whig
|
Ripon
|
Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore
|
1733
|
1781
|
1782
|
|
Whig
|
Thetford
|
The Earl Nugent
|
1741
|
1782
|
1784
|
|
Tory
|
St Mawes
|
Sir Charles Frederick
|
1741
|
1784
|
1784
|
|
Tory
|
Queenborough
|
The Lord Mendip
|
1741
|
1784
|
1790
|
|
Tory
|
Weymouth and Melcombe Regis
|
William Drake
|
1746
|
1790
|
1796
|
|
|
Amersham
|
Sir Philip Stephens, 1st Baronet
|
1759
|
1796
|
1806
|
|
Tory
|
Sandwich
|
Clement Tudway
|
1761
|
1806
|
1815
|
|
|
Wells
|
Sir John Aubrey, 6th Baronet
|
1768
|
1815
|
1826
|
|
Tory
|
Steyning (1812–20)
Horsham (1820–26)
|
Sir Samuel Smith
|
1788
|
1826
|
1832
|
|
Tory
|
Wendover
|
George Byng
|
1790
|
1832
|
1847
|
|
Whig
|
Middlesex
|
Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn
|
1799
|
1847
|
1850
|
|
Conservative
|
Montgomeryshire
|
George Harcourt
|
1806
|
1850
|
1861
|
|
Whig
|
Oxfordshire
|
Sir Charles Burrell, 3rd Baronet
|
1806
|
1861
|
1862
|
|
Conservative
|
New Shoreham
|
Henry Cecil Lowther
|
1812
|
1862
|
1867
|
|
Conservative
|
Westmorland
|
Thomas Peers Williams
|
1820
|
1867
|
1868
|
|
Conservative
|
Marlow
|
Henry Lowry-Corry
|
1825
|
1868
|
1873
|
|
Conservative
|
Tyrone
|
George Weld-Forester
|
1828
|
1873
|
1874
|
|
Conservative
|
Wenlock
|
Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot
|
1830
|
1874
|
1890
|
|
Liberal
|
Glamorganshire (1830–85)
Mid Glamorganshire (1885–90)
|
Charles Pelham Villiers
|
1835
|
1890
|
1898
|
|
Liberal Unionist
|
Wolverhampton South
|
Sir John Mowbray, 1st Baronet
|
1853
|
1898
|
1899
|
|
Conservative
|
Oxford University
|
William Wither Beach
|
1857
|
1899
|
1901
|
|
Conservative
|
Andover
|
Michael Hicks Beach
|
1864
|
1901
|
1906
|
|
Conservative
|
Bristol West
|
George Finch
|
1867
|
1906
|
1907
|
|
Conservative
|
Rutland
|
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
|
1868
|
1907
|
1908
|
|
Liberal
|
Stirling Burghs
|
Sir John Kennaway, 3rd Baronet
|
1870
|
1908
|
1910
|
|
Conservative
|
Honiton
|
Thomas Burt
|
1874
|
1910
|
1918
|
|
Lib-Lab
|
Morpeth
|
T. P. O'Connor
|
1880
|
1918
|
1929
|
|
Irish Nationalist
|
Liverpool Scotland
|
David Lloyd George
|
1890
|
1929
|
1945
|
|
Liberal
|
Caernarvon Boroughs
|
The Earl Winterton
|
1904
|
1945
|
1951
|
|
Conservative
|
Horsham
|
Sir Hugh O'Neill
|
1915
|
1951
|
1952
|
|
UUP
|
North Antrim
|
David Grenfell
|
1922
|
1952
|
1959
|
|
Labour
|
Gower
|
Sir Winston Churchill
|
1924
|
1959
|
1964
|
|
Conservative
|
Woodford
|
R. A. Butler
|
1929
|
1964
|
1965
|
|
Conservative
|
Saffron Walden
|
Robin Turton
|
1929
|
1965
|
1974
|
|
Conservative
|
Thirsk and Malton
|
George Strauss
|
1934
|
1974
|
1979
|
|
Labour
|
Vauxhall
|
John Parker
|
1935
|
1979
|
1983
|
|
Labour
|
Dagenham
|
James Callaghan
|
1945
|
1983
|
1987
|
|
Labour
|
Cardiff South and Penarth
|
Sir Bernard Braine
|
1950
|
1987
|
1992
|
|
Conservative
|
Castle Point
|
Sir Edward Heath
|
1950
|
1992
|
2001
|
|
Conservative
|
Old Bexley and Sidcup
|
Tam Dalyell
|
1962
|
2001
|
2005
|
|
Labour
|
Linlithgow
|
Alan Williams
|
1964
|
2005
|
2010
|
|
Labour
|
Swansea West
|
Sir Peter Tapsell
|
1966
|
2010
|
Incumbent
|
|
Conservative
|
Louth and Horncastle
|
House of Lords
The current Father of the House of Lords is Lord Carrington (Conservative), who became eligible to take his seat on his 21st birthday in 1940 (having succeeded to the title in 1938 while still a minor) and actually first took his seat in October 1945. After the House of Lords Act 1999 removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, Carrington (along with all former Leaders of the House who were hereditaries) was given a life peerage to enable him to continue to sit.
Should Carrington cease to be a Member of the House of Lords, the remaining peers who first sat in the 1940s will become eligible to be Father of the House. There are currently two: Lord Montagu of Beaulieu (sat first on 26 November 1947) and Lord Denham (sat first on 13 December 1949). Both are hereditary peers who were elected to remain in the House under the provisions of the 1999 Act.
The senior life peer by date of creation is Lord Chalfont, who entered the House in 1964.
House of Commons of Northern Ireland (defunct)
The Parliament of Northern Ireland, including the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, was prorogued in 1972 and abolished completely in 1973 leaving the title of Father of the House defunct.
Australia
In Australia, the current member of the House of Representatives with the longest period of continuous service, whether a Minister or not, is known as "Father of the House". Similarly, the current member of the Senate with the longest period of continuous service is known as "Father of the Senate". The longer serving of the two Fathers is called "Father of the Parliament".
As in Britain, these terms have no official status. However, unlike Britain:
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the term Father of the House/Senate applies where there is one member whose continuous service is unequivocally longer than any other, as determined by the date of election (House) or the date of the start of the term (Senate). Where two or more members have equal length of continuous service, more than any other members, they are considered joint Fathers of the House/Senate. Some state parliaments, however, follow the British convention.
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the Father of the House and the Father of the Senate in Australia have no parliamentary role at all. The election of the presiding officers is conducted by the Clerk of the House and the Clerk of the Senate respectively.
Since 1 July 2014, Senator John Faulkner, who was first appointed in 1989, has been the Father of the Senate.
Since 1 September 1998, Philip Ruddock, who was first elected in 1973, has been the Father of the House of Representatives and Father of the Parliament.
Canada
The longest-serving member of the House of Commons who is not a cabinet minister is known as the Dean of the House, and presides over the election of the Speaker at the beginning of each Parliament. The same term is used for the equivalent position in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Germany
Starting with the Frankfurter Nationalversammlung (Frankfurt Parliament) of 1848, all democratic German parliaments had a Father (or Mother) of the House, usually called Alterspräsident (President by right of age).
Under the current constitution (Grundgesetz) of 1949, the Alterspräsident will preside over the Parliament (Bundestag) at the start of each legislative period.
Following tradition, the Alterspräsident will first ascertain himself that he is the oldest member of the Bundestag by stating his birth date and asking if anyone is present who was born before his date. If no older member of the Bundestag is present (which is usually the case) he will formally declare that he indeed is the Alterspräsident and will start proceedings.
As acting President of the Bundestag (Bundestagspräsident) he delivers the first programmatic speech and oversees the elections of the President of the Bundestag and the Vicepresidents of the Bundestag (Bundestagsvizepräsidenten). He then stands down and yields his power to the newly elected Bundestagspräsident. As the position of Father of the House usually draws a certain public attention, the PDS twice nominated old independents (Stefan Heym in 1994, Fred Gebhardt in 1998) to obtain this office. None of them served a complete term (Heym resigned in 1996, Gebhardt died in 2000). This was considered a manipulation.
Israel
In the beginning of each Knesset, before the election of a permanent speaker, there is a temporary speaker. In the past it was the oldest member of Knesset, now it is the longest-serving member. Michael Eitan is the most recent Knesset member to serve in this capacity, doing so from February 24 - March 30, 2010.
Ireland
In the Republic of Ireland, the term Father of the Dáil is an unofficial title applied to the longest-serving Teachta Dála (TD) in Dáil Éireann, regardless of their position. The current Father is the Taoiseach and Fine Gael party leader, Enda Kenny, TD, since the retirement of Séamus Pattison at the 2007 general election. On a number of occasions two or more people have shared the position of Father of the Dáil.
New Zealand
In New Zealand, the term Father or Mother of the House, as an unofficial title, designates the longest-serving MP in the House of Representatives, regardless of their position. The Father of the House has no official role in Parliament. Peter Dunne, the leader of the United Future party, holds the title in the New Zealand Parliament, having served continuously since the 1984 general election.
In New Zealand's first election of 1853, the Bay of Islands electorate became the first to declare the election of a successful candidate, returning Hugh Carleton unopposed. In the subsequent General Assembly of 1854, Carleton liked to be known as the "Father of the House".
Norway
In Norway it is the representative of the Storting with longest seniority that is temporary Stortingspresident (speaker). Per Kristian Foss had this position in 2009 until Dag Terje Andersen was elected.
Russia
Finland
Note: this is a list of longest-serving Finnish MPs; however, before the election of the Speaker, the Finnish Parliament is chaired by the oldest MP, not the longest-serving one.
Sweden
Serbia
In the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, the oldest MP serves as the Acting Speaker presiding over the constitutive session, before the Speaker is elected.
See also
References
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^ a b "The Father of the House". Factsheet M3. London: House of Commons Information Office. March 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
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^ "Members Sworn". Hansard. Hansard Digitisation Project. 30 June 1970. Retrieved 2009-10-05. (Kaufman was the 351st member to take the oath in 1970, Clarke 365th.)
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^ "Members Sworn". Hansard. Hansard Digitisation Project. 1 July 1970. Retrieved 2009-12-01. (Meacher was the 540th member to take the oath, Skinner 579th.)
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^ "The Father of the House". London: The Library of Nineteenth-Century Photography. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
External links
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House of Commons Information Office PDF document on Fathers of the House
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