- There is also the designation of Father of the House of Lords
The longest continuously serving member of certain national legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom, is customarily designated Father of the House. If two or more MPs have equal lengths of service, then whoever was sworn in first is named Father.
The most important duty of the Father of the House is to preside over the election of a new Speaker, should that office be vacant at the beginning of a Parliament. However, a minister of the Crown is prohibited from presiding at the election of a speaker in the House of Commons; therefore, a minister is never considered the Father of the House, even if that minister is more senior than any other member.
The term Mother of the House is also found, although the usage varies between countries. Sometimes, it is used simply as the female alternative to Father of the House, being applied when the longest serving member of a legislature is a woman. Sometimes, however, it is treated as a separate designation, and is given to the longest serving female legislator, regardless of whether she is the longest serving legislator overall.
The current Father of the House in the United Kingdom is Tam Dalyell (Labour Party), who was first elected for the seat of West Lothian (since renamed Linlithgow) in a by-election on 14th June 1962. He has stated his intention to stand down at the next general election; the next in line to be Father is Alan Williams, MP for Swansea West.
Fathers of the House in the UK
Australia
Main article: List of longest-serving members of the Australian House of Representatives.
The term "Father of the House" is not used in Australia, where it is seen as a British usage, and is also objected to by women MPs as gender-biased. The longest-serving member of the Australian House of Representatives is Phillip Ruddock, who was first elected in 1973. The longest-serving member of the Australian Senate is Senator Brian Harradine, who was elected in 1975.
Father of the House in New Zealand
The current Father of the House is Jonathan Hunt, who was first elected in 1966.
See also
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