Father of the House
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 to 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.
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 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.[2]
In the House of Commons, the only conventional leadership required 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 of "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 longest-serving member is absent or is a government minister, the next person in line presides).
The current Father of the House of Commons is Sir Gerald Kaufman, Labour MP for Manchester Gorton, who began his continuous service from the 1970 general election.
Should Kaufman cease to be a Member of the House, the remaining members first elected in 1970 would become eligible to be Father of the House. They are Kenneth Clarke and Dennis Skinner.[3][4]
The Father of the House is not necessarily the sitting Member with the earliest date of first election: David Winnick was first elected in 1966, and is the last current Member to have served in the 1960s, but he lost his seat in 1970 and was out of Parliament until elected again in 1976. Michael Foot, as the only remaining Member from the 1945 election between 1987 and 1992, was never Father of the House because he had been out of Parliament between 1955 and a by-election in 1960. Similarly, though Winston Churchill was first elected in 1900, he did not become Father of the House until 1959, because he had 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
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FF7F00;" data-sort-value="British Whig Party" | |
Whig | Guildford (1713–14) Surrey (1714–15) | |
| Thomas Erle | 1679 | 1715 | 1718
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FF7F00;" data-sort-value="British Whig Party" | |
Whig | Wareham | |
| Edward Vaughan | 1679 | 1718 | 1718
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FF7F00;" data-sort-value="British Whig Party" | |
Whig | Cardiganshire | |
| Richard Vaughan | 1685 | 1718 | 1724
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FF7F00;" data-sort-value="British Whig Party" | |
Whig | Carmarthen | |
| Lord William Powlett | 1689 | 1724 | 1729
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #3333CC;" data-sort-value="Tories (British political party)" | |
Tory | Winchester | |
| Sir Justinian Isham, 4th Baronet | 1694 | 1729 | 1730
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #3333CC;" data-sort-value="Tories (British political party)" | |
Tory | Northamptonshire | |
| Sir Charles Turner, 1st Baronet, of Warham | 1695 | 1730 | 1738
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #3333CC;" data-sort-value="Tories (British political party)" | |
Tory | King's Lynn | |
| Sir Roger Bradshaigh | 1695 | 1738 | 1747
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #3333CC;" data-sort-value="Tories (British political party)" | |
Tory | Wigan | |
| Sir Edward Ashe | 1695 | 1747 | 1747
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #3333CC;" data-sort-value="Tories (British political party)" | |
Tory | Heytesbury | |
| Sir Thomas Cartwright | 1701 | 1747 | 1748
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #3333CC;" data-sort-value="Tories (British political party)" | |
Tory | Northamptonshire | |
| Sir Richard Shuttleworth | 1705 | 1748 | 1749
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #3333CC;" data-sort-value="Tories (British political party)" | |
Tory | Preston | |
| Phillips Gybbon | 1707 | 1749 | 1762
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FF7F00;" data-sort-value="British Whig Party" | |
Whig | Rye | |
| Sir John Rushout, 4th Baronet | 1713 | 1762 | 1768
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #3333CC;" data-sort-value="Tories (British political party)" | |
Tory | Evesham | |
| William Aislabie | 1721 | 1768 | 1781
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FF7F00;" data-sort-value="British Whig Party" | |
Whig | Ripon | |
| Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore | 1733 | 1781 | 1782
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FF7F00;" data-sort-value="British Whig Party" | |
Whig | Thetford | |
| The Earl Nugent | 1741 | 1782 | 1784
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #3333CC;" data-sort-value="Tories (British political party)" | |
Tory | St Mawes | |
| Sir Charles Frederick | 1741 | 1784 | 1784
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #3333CC;" data-sort-value="Tories (British political party)" | |
Tory | Queenborough | |
| The Lord Mendip | 1741 | 1784 | 1790
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #3333CC;" data-sort-value="Tories (British political party)" | |
Tory | Weymouth and Melcombe Regis | |
| William Drake | 1746 | 1790 | 1796 | Amersham | ||
| Sir Philip Stephens, 1st Baronet | 1759 | 1796 | 1806
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #3333CC;" data-sort-value="Tories (British political party)" | |
Tory | Sandwich | |
| Clement Tudway | 1761 | 1806 | 1815 | Wells | ||
| Sir John Aubrey, 6th Baronet | 1768 | 1815 | 1826
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #3333CC;" data-sort-value="Tories (British political party)" | |
Tory | Steyning (1812–20) Horsham (1820–26) | |
| Sir Samuel Smith | 1788 | 1826 | 1832
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #3333CC;" data-sort-value="Tories (British political party)" | |
Tory | Wendover | |
| George Byng | 1790 | 1832 | 1847
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FF7F00;" data-sort-value="British Whig Party" | |
Whig | Middlesex | |
| Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn | 1799 | 1847 | 1850
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Montgomeryshire | |
| George Harcourt | 1806 | 1850 | 1861
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FF7F00;" data-sort-value="British Whig Party" | |
Whig | Oxfordshire | |
| Sir Charles Burrell, 3rd Baronet | 1806 | 1861 | 1862
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | New Shoreham | |
| Henry Cecil Lowther | 1812 | 1862 | 1867
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Westmorland | |
| Thomas Peers Williams | 1820 | 1867 | 1868
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Marlow | |
| Henry Lowry-Corry | 1825 | 1868 | 1873
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Tyrone | |
| George Weld-Forester | 1828 | 1873 | 1874
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Wenlock | |
| Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot | 1830 | 1874 | 1890
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | Glamorganshire (1830–85) Mid Glamorganshire (1885–90) | |
| Charles Pelham Villiers | 1835 | 1890 | 1898
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #2061A2;" data-sort-value="Liberal Unionist Party" | |
Liberal Unionist | Wolverhampton South | |
| Sir John Mowbray, 1st Baronet | 1853 | 1898 | 1899
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Oxford University | |
| William Wither Beach | 1857 | 1899 | 1901
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Andover | |
| Michael Hicks Beach | 1864 | 1901 | 1906
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Bristol West | |
| George Finch | 1867 | 1906 | 1907
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Rutland | |
| Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman | 1868 | 1907 | 1908
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | Stirling Burghs | |
| Sir John Kennaway, 3rd Baronet | 1870 | 1908 | 1910
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Honiton | |
| Thomas Burt | 1874 | 1910 | 1918
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: orange;" data-sort-value="Liberal-Labour (UK)" | |
Lib-Lab | Morpeth | |
| T. P. O'Connor | 1880 | 1918 | 1929
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #99FF66;" data-sort-value="Nationalist Party (Ireland)" | |
Irish Nationalist | Liverpool Scotland | |
| David Lloyd George | 1890 | 1929 | 1945
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | Caernarvon Boroughs | |
| The Earl Winterton | 1904 | 1945 | 1951
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Horsham | |
| Sir Hugh O'Neill | 1915 | 1951 | 1952
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" | |
UUP | North Antrim | |
| David Grenfell | 1922 | 1952 | 1959
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Gower | |
| Sir Winston Churchill | 1924 | 1959 | 1964
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Woodford | |
| R. A. Butler | 1929 | 1964 | 1965
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Saffron Walden | |
| Sir Robin Turton | 1929 | 1965 | 1974
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Thirsk and Malton | |
| George Strauss | 1934 | 1974 | 1979
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Vauxhall | |
| John Parker | 1935 | 1979 | 1983
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Dagenham | |
| James Callaghan | 1945 | 1983 | 1987
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Cardiff South and Penarth | |
| Sir Bernard Braine | 1950 | 1987 | 1992
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Castle Point | |
| Sir Edward Heath | 1950 | 1992 | 2001
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Old Bexley and Sidcup | |
| Tam Dalyell | 1962 | 2001 | 2005
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Linlithgow | |
| Alan Williams | 1964 | 2005 | 2010
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Swansea West | |
| Sir Peter Tapsell | 1966 | 2010 | 2015
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | Louth and Horncastle | |
| Sir Gerald Kaufman | 1970 | 2015 |
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #E4003B;" data-sort-value="Labour Party (UK)" | |
Labour | Manchester Gorton | |
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, Lord Denham (Conservative) who sat first on 13 December 1949, would become eligible to be Father of the House. He is a hereditary peer who was elected to remain in the House under the provisions of the 1999 Act.
The senior sitting life peer by date of creation is Baroness Masham of Ilton, who entered the House in 1970.
| Name | Entered House | Became Father | Left House | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Earl of Mansfield | 1840 | ? | 1898
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | |
| The Lord Templemore | 1842 | 1898 | 1906
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | |
| The Earl of Leicester | 1844 | 1906 | 1909
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | |
| The Earl Nelson | 1845 | 1909 | 1913
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | |
| The Earl of Ducie | 1853 | 1913 | 1921
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | |
| The Earl of Coventry | 1859 | 1921 | 1930
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | |
| Viscount Hereford[5] | 1864 | 1930 | 1930 | ||
| The Marquess of Huntly | 1869 | 1930 | 1937
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #FFD700;" data-sort-value="Liberal Party (UK)" | |
Liberal | |
| The Marquess of Ailsa | 4 June 1872 | 1937 | 1938
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | |
| The Lord Grantley | 24 May 1878 | 1938 | 1943
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | |
| Unclear | 1943 | ???? | |||
| The Lord Romilly | 4 August 1920 | ???? | 1983
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | |
| The Lord Oranmore and Browne | 26 July 1927 | 1983 | 1999
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | |
| The Earl Jellicoe | 25 July 1939 | 1999 | 2007
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | |
| The Lord Carrington | 9 October 1945 | 2007 | Incumbent
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Conservative Party (UK)" | |
Conservative | |
House of Commons of Northern Ireland (defunct)
| Name | Entered House | Became Father | Left House | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. M. Andrews | 1921 | 1949 | 1953
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" | |
UUP | |
| Cahir Healy | 1925 | 1953 | 1965
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #32cd32;" data-sort-value="Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)" | |
Nationalist | |
| The Viscount Brookeborough | 1929 | 1965 | 1968
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" | |
UUP | |
| Sir Norman Stronge, Bt | 1938 | 1968 | 1969
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" | |
UUP | |
| Terence O'Neill | 1946 | 1969 | 1970
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" | |
UUP | |
| Brian Faulkner | 1949 | 1970 | 1972
style="width: 2px; color:inherit; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" | |
UUP | |
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:
- 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 of giving precedence by order of swearing into office.
- 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 6 February 2015, Senator Ian Macdonald, who was first appointed in 1990, 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.
| Bundestag | Name | Term | Parliamentary group |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1949–1953 | Paul Löbe | 1949–1953 | SPD | longtime Reichstagspräsident during the Weimar Republic |
| 2nd | 1953–1957 | Marie Elisabeth Lüders | 1953–1957 | FDP | stood in for Konrad Adenauer, the oldest member, who refused the office due to his position as Chancellor |
| 3rd | 1957–1961 | Marie Elisabeth Lüders | 1957–1961 | FDP | |
| 4th | 1961–1963 | Robert Pferdmenges | 1961–1963 | CDU/CSU | |
| Konrad Adenauer | 1963–1965 | CDU/CSU | resumed the office after his resignation as Chancellor | ||
| 5th | 1965–1967 | Konrad Adenauer | 1965–1967 | CDU/CSU | died in 1967 |
| William Borm | 1967–1969 | FDP | |||
| 6th | 1969–1972 | William Borm | 1969–1972 | FDP | |
| 7th | 1972–1976 | Ludwig Erhard | 1972–1976 | CDU/CSU | |
| 8th | 1976–1980 | Ludwig Erhard | 1976–1977 | CDU/CSU | died in 1977 |
| Johann Baptist Gradl | 1977–1980 | CDU/CSU | |||
| 9th | 1980–1983 | Herbert Wehner | 1980–1983 | SPD | |
| 10th | 1983–1987 | Willy Brandt | 1983–1987 | SPD | stood in for Egon Franke |
| 11th | 1987–1990 | Willy Brandt | 1987–1990 | SPD | |
| 12th | 1990–1994 | Willy Brandt | 1990–1992 | SPD | died in 1992 |
| Alfred Dregger | 1992–1994 | CDU/CSU | |||
| 13th | 1994–1998 | Stefan Heym | 1994–1995 | PDS | resigned his seat in 1995 |
| Alfred Dregger | 1995–1998 | CDU/CSU | |||
| 14th | 1998–2002 | Fred Gebhardt | 1998–2000 | PDS | died in 2000 |
| Hans-Eberhard Urbaniak | 2000–2002 | SPD | |||
| 15th | 2002–2005 | Otto Schily | 2002–2005 | SPD | |
| 16th | 2005–2009 | Otto Schily | 2005–2009 | SPD | |
| 17th | 2009–2013 | Heinz Riesenhuber | 2009–2013 | CDU/CSU | |
| 18th | 2013–2017 | Heinz Riesenhuber | since 2013 | CDU/CSU | |
Hungary
In Hungary, term refers to the oldest member of the National Assembly (previously House of Representatives, the lower house). Before the open session, the senior chair and junior notaries review the mandates of all the elected MPs in addition to their own. He or she presides over the newly elected parliament until the appointment of the officials.
| Member | Party | Entered Parliament | Became oldest member | Left House | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Géza Malasits | MSZDP | 1924 | 1945 | 1948 † | |
| MDP | |||||
| Dezső Pattantyús-Ábrahám | FMDP | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | | Ferenc Harrer | Ind. | 1949 | 1949 | 1969 † |
| Janka Stark | MSZMP | 1958 | 1969 | 1975 | |
| László Pesta | MSZMP | 1949 | 1975 | 1990 | |
| style="background-color:Template:Hungarian Democratic Forum/meta/color" | | Kálmán Kéri | MDF | 1990 | 1990 | 1994 † |
| style="background-color:Template:Independent Smallholders, Agrarian Workers and Civic Party/meta/color" | | Vince Vörös | FKGP | 1990 | 1994 | 1994 |
| style="background-color:Template:Christian Democratic People's Party (Hungary)/meta/color" | | László Varga | KDNP | 1994 | 1994 | 2003 † |
| style="background-color:Template:Fidesz/meta/color" | | Fidesz | ||||
| style="background-color:Template:Fidesz/meta/color" | | János Horváth | Fidesz | 1998 | 2003 | 2014 |
| style="background-color:Template:Fidesz/meta/color" | | Béla Turi-Kovács | Fidesz | 1998 | 2014 | Incumbent |
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. In 2013 it was Benyamin Ben-Eliezer who had this position.
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.
Malaysia
In Malaysia the term "Father of the House" is rarely used. Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah who was elected in 1974, has been the longest serving MP in the Dewan Rakyat. He is also the current oldest serving MP aged 87 years, 6 months.
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
- 1993 Georgy Lukava - Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
- 1995 Grigory Galaziy - Our Home – Russia, Irkutsk
- 1999 Yegor Ligachev - Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Tomsk
- 2003 Valentin Varennikov - Rodina
- 2007 Zhores Alferov - Communist Party of the Russian Federation
- 2011 Vladimir Dolgikh - United Russia
- 2013 Zhores Alferov - Communist Party of the Russian Federation
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.
- Kyösti Kallio (first elected 1907) -1937
- Kalle Lohi (first elected 1909) 1937-1945
- Miina Sillanpää (first elected 1907, re-elected 1914, 1919 and 1936) 1945-1948
- Jussi Tolonen (first elected 1914, re-elected 1919 and 1927) 1948-1951
- John Österholm (first elected 1919) 1951-1960
- Viljo Rantala (first elected 1922) 1960-1962
- Karl-August Fagerholm (first elected 1930) 1962-1966
- Eino Raunio (first elected 1939) 1966-1970
- Hertta Kuusinen (first elected 1945) 1970-1972
- Johannes Virolainen (first elected 1945) 1972-1983
- Veikko Vennamo (first elected 1945, re-elected 1966) 1983-1987
- Johannes Virolainen (re-elected 1987) 1987-1991
- Henrik Westerlund (first elected 1966) 1991-1995
- Pertti Salolainen (first elected 1970) 1995-1996
- Håkan Malm (first elected 1975) 1996-1999
- Paavo Väyrynen (first elected 1970, re-elected 1999) 1999
- Esko-Juhani Tennilä (first elected 1975) 1999-2011
- Ilkka Kanerva (first elected 1975) 2011-
Sweden
- Krister Örnfjäder (first elected 1993) 2015–present
- Göran Hägglund (first elected 1991) 2014–2015
- Per Westerberg (first elected 1979) 2006-2014
- Lennart Nilsson (first elected 1976) 2004-2006
- Bo Lundgren (first elected 1976) 2003-2004
- Anders Björck (first elected 1969) 2002-2003
- Jan Bergqvist (first elected 1969) 1998-2002
- Börje Nilsson (first elected 1965) 1996-1998
- Ingvar Carlsson (first elected 1965) 1994-1996
- Stig Alemyr (first elected 1957) 1988-1994
- Ingemund Bengtsson (first elected 1951) 1985-1988
- Gunnar Sträng (first elected 1946) 1979-1985
- Henry Allard (first elected 1945) 1976-1979
- Torsten Nilsson (first elected 1941) 1973-1976
- Tage Erlander (first elected 1932) 1971-1973
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.
- 2001 Zaharije Trnavčević - Democratic Party
- 2004 Velimir Simonović - Democratic Party of Serbia
- 2007 Borka Vučić - Socialist Party of Serbia
- 2008 Jovan Krkobabić - Party of United Pensioners of Serbia
- 2012 Zaharije Trnavčević - Rich Serbia
- 2014 Milan Korać - Party of United Pensioners of Serbia
Singapore
Until his death on 23 March 2015, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was the longest serving Member of Parliament (Tanjong Pagar) and thus the Father of the House.[6] As of April 2015, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong is Father of the House, as the longest serving MP (Marine Parade).[6]
See also
- Oldest member (European Parliament)
- Baby of the House
- Dean of the House (Canada)
- Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives
- Father of the Dáil
- List of longest-serving members of the Australian House of Representatives
- President pro tempore of the United States Senate
References
- ^ a b "The Father of the House" (PDF). Factsheet M3. London: House of Commons Information Office. March 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.)
- ^ "Members Sworn". Hansard. Hansard Digitisation Project. 1 July 1970. Retrieved 2009-12-01. (Meacher was the 540th member to take the oath, Skinner 579th.)
- ^ "The Father of the House". London: The Library of Nineteenth-Century Photography. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
- ^ a b Singapore's Veteran MPs