Baby of the House

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Baby of the House is the unofficial title given to the youngest member of a Lower house or Upper house.

Contents

[edit] Australia

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In Australia the term is rarely used, as most MPs and Senators are elected usually only in their thirties and later but some prominent MPs have been elected rather early in life including Prime Ministers Malcolm Fraser and Paul Keating who were both elected at age 25 in 1955 and 1969 respectively. The current baby of the house is the 29 year old Amanda Rishworth (Labor, Kingston). The current baby of the senate is the 26 year old Sarah Hanson-Young (South Australia).

[edit] Canada

The youngest member of the Canadian House of Commons is Pierre Poilievre born on June 3, 1979 ( 1979-06-03) (age 29) who was first elected in 2004 at the age of 24. Poilievre was re-elected in the 2006 general election, and since no younger MP was elected at that time, he remains Canada's youngest MP. In the past, MPs such as Andrew Scheer and Lorne Nystrom have also held the distinction.

[edit] Republic of Ireland

In the Republic of Ireland the term is rarely used, as most TDs and are elected usually only in their thirties and later. The current baby of the Dáil is the 28 year-old Fine Gael deputy Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South-East).

[edit] List of Babies of the Dáil

Elected Name Constituency Party Age
1943 Oliver J. Flanagan Laois-Offaly Fine Gael 23
1948 Neil Blaney Donegal East Fianna Fáil 26
1949 William J. Murphy Cork West Labour Party 21
1951 Declan Costello Dublin North-West Fine Gael 24
1956 Kathleen O'Connor Kerry North Clann na Poblachta 21
1957 Brigid Hogan Galway South Fine Gael 24
1958 Anthony Millar Galway South Fianna Fáil 23
1961 Lorcan Allen Wicklow Fianna Fáil 21
1965 Desmond Foley Dublin County Fianna Fáil 24
1969 John Bruton Meath Fine Gael 22
1975 Máire Geoghegan-Quinn Galway West Fianna Fáil 24
1975 Enda Kenny Mayo West Fine Gael 24
1977 Síle de Valera Mid County Dublin Fianna Fáil 23
1979 Myra Barry Cork North-East Fine Gael 22
1981 Ivan Yates Wexford Fine Gael 21
1984 Brian Cowen Laois-Offaly Fianna Fáil 24
1987 Mary Coughlan Donegal South-West Fianna Fáil 21
1995 Mildred Fox Wicklow Independent 24
1997 Denis Naughten Longford-Roscommon Fine Gael 24
2002 Damien English Meath Fine Gael 28
2007 Lucinda Creighton Dublin South-East Fine Gael 27

[edit] United Kingdom

Becoming the Baby of the House is regarded as something of an achievement, and for example, Jeffrey Archer incorrectly claimed to have been the youngest MP at the time of his election. However, some MPs who have held the position for a considerable period — Matthew Taylor was the Baby of the House for over ten years — have found it somewhat embarrassing, as it may suggest that they have a lack of experience, although a perusal of the list shows that many babies in fact went on to enjoy long, significant and distinguished parliamentary careers. From August 1999 to September 2001, all three of the leaders of the main political parties had been the youngest MPs in the party when they began their political career (William Hague, Tony Blair, Charles Kennedy).

Of those whose age can be verified, the youngest MP since the Reform Act 1832[1] was Esmond Harmsworth, elected on 15 November 1919 from the Isle of Thanet aged 21 years 170 days. The youngest female MP was Bernadette Devlin, elected on 17 April 1969 from Mid Ulster aged 21 years 359 days.

In more recent times, the oldest Baby at first election is Sarah Teather, elected in 2003 aged 29 years 109 days.

[edit] List of Babies of the House of Commons

Elected Name Constituency Party Age
1895 William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam Wakefield Liberal Unionist 22
1898[2] Arthur Hill West Down Conservative 24
1900 Richard Rigg Appleby Liberal 23
1904[2] Edward Turnour Horsham Conservative 21
1906 John Wodehouse Mid Norfolk Liberal 22
1910 Charles Thomas Mills Uxbridge Conservative 22
1912[2] Philip Sassoon Hythe Conservative 23
1915[2] John Esmonde North Tipperary Irish Parliamentary 21
1916[2] Patrick Joseph Whitty North Louth Irish Parliamentary 21
1917[2] Edward Stanley Liverpool Abercromby Conservative 22
1918[3] Joseph Aloysius Sweeney West Donegal Sinn Féin 21
1919[2] Esmond Harmsworth Isle of Thanet Coalition Conservative 21
1922 Henry Arthur Evans Leicester East National Liberal 24
1923 Charles Arthur Uryan Rhys Romford Conservative 24
1924 Hugh Lucas-Tooth Isle of Ely Conservative 21
1929[2] Jennie Lee North Lanarkshire Labour 24
1929 Frank Owen Hereford Liberal 23
1931 John Roland Robinson Widnes Conservative 24
1933[2] Lord Willoughby de Eresby Rutland and Stamford Conservative 25
1935[2] Charles Taylor Eastbourne Conservative 24
1935 Malcolm Macmillan Western Isles Labour 22
1940[2] John Profumo Kettering Conservative 25
1941[2] George Charles Grey Berwick-upon-Tweed Liberal 22
1944[4] John Profumo Kettering Conservative 29
1945[2] Ernest Millington Chelmsford Common Wealth 29
1945 Hon. Edward Carson Isle of Thanet Conservative 25
1948[2] Roy Jenkins Southwark Central Labour 27
1950 Peter Baker South Norfolk Conservative 28
1950[2][5] Tony Benn Bristol South East Labour 25
1950[2] Thomas Teevan Belfast West Ulster Unionist 23
1951[6] Tony Benn Bristol South East Labour 26
1954[2] John Eden Bournemouth West Conservative 28
1955[7] Philip Clarke Fermanagh and South Tyrone Sinn Féin 21
1955[7] Peter Kirk Gravesend Conservative 27
1957[2] Robert Cooke Bristol West Conservative 26
1958[2][8] Basil de Ferranti Morecambe and Lunesdale Conservative 28
1958[2] Patrick Wolrige-Gordon East Aberdeenshire Conservative 23
1959[2] Paul Channon Southend West Conservative 23
1964 Teddy Taylor Glasgow Cathcart Conservative 27
1965[2] David Steel Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles Liberal 26
1966 John Ryan Uxbridge Labour 25
1967[2] Leslie Huckfield Nuneaton Labour 24
1969[2] Bernadette Devlin Mid Ulster Unity 21
1974 Dafydd Elis-Thomas Merioneth Plaid Cymru 27
1974 Hélène Hayman Welwyn and Hatfield Labour 25
1977[2] Andrew Mackay Birmingham Stechford Conservative 27
1979[2] David Alton Liverpool Edge Hill Liberal 28
1979 Stephen Dorrell Loughborough Conservative 27
1981[2][9] Bobby Sands Fermanagh and South Tyrone Anti H-Block 27
1981[4] Stephen Dorrell Loughborough Conservative 29
1981[2][9] Owen Carron Fermanagh and South Tyrone Anti H-Block 28
1983 Charles Kennedy Ross, Cromarty and Skye Social Democrat 23
1987[2] Matthew Taylor Truro Liberal 24
1997[10] Christopher Leslie Shipley Labour 24
2000[2] David Lammy Tottenham Labour 27
2003[2] Sarah Teather Brent East Liberal Democrat 29
2005 Jo Swinson East Dunbartonshire Liberal Democrat 25
  1. ^ Prior to 1832 minors could be elected; precise information on those MPs is often unclear.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae by-election
  3. ^ Joseph Aloysius Sweeney did not take his seat; the youngest MP actually sitting in the House of Commons was Oswald Mosley (Conservative, aged 22)
  4. ^ a b Became the youngest MP for a second time, on the death of the previous youngest MP
  5. ^ Tony Benn was first elected at the Bristol South East by-election, 1950, aged 25, the day after Thomas Teevan, who was aged 23, but Benn took the oath the day before Teevan, and so was Baby of the House for a single day.
  6. ^ Tony Benn became the youngest MP again after the 1951 general election, on the defeat of Teevan.
  7. ^ a b Elected on an abstentionist ticket, Philip Clarke did not take his seat. Peter Kirk was first elected at the 1955 general election, when he became the youngest MP to take his seat, but only became the youngest MP with the disqualification of Philip Clarke later in the year.
  8. ^ Basil de Ferranti was the youngest MP for 15 days between his taking his seat after the Morecambe by-election and Patrick Wolrige-Gordon taking his seat after the East Aberdeenshire by-election. (source).
  9. ^ a b Elected on an abstentionist ticket, Bobby Sands and Owen Carron did not take their seats; Stephen Dorrell remained the youngest MP actually sitting in the House of Commons.
  10. ^ Although several sources claim Claire Ward was the youngest MP during this period, she was 50 days older than Christopher Leslie.

[edit] United States

Currently the "Baby of the House" in the United States House of Representatives is Patrick T. McHenry (R) who was born on October 22, 1975 (1975-10-22) (age 32). The "Baby of the House" before McHenry, who was elected at the age of 26 in 2000, was Adam H. Putnam (R), who was born on July 31, 1974 (1974-07-31) (age 34). Currently however the second youngest member of the House is André Carson (D) who was born on October 16, 1974 ( 1974-10-16) (age 33).

Currently the "Baby of the Senate" in the United States Senate is John E. Sununu (R) who was born on September 10, 1964 ( 1964-09-10) (age 44). The "Baby of the Senate" before Sununu, who was elected at the age of 38 in 1998, was Peter Fitzgerald (R), who was born on October 20, 1960 (1960-10-20) (age 47) but is no longer serving in the Senate and was succeeded by Barack Obama, the third youngest Senator. Currently the second youngest member of the Senate is Mark Pryor (D) who was born on January 10, 1963 (1963-01-10) (age 45).

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Prior to 1832 minors could be elected; precise information on those MPs is often unclear.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae by-election
  3. ^ Joseph Aloysius Sweeney did not take his seat; the youngest MP actually sitting in the House of Commons was Oswald Mosley (Conservative, aged 22)
  4. ^ a b Became the youngest MP for a second time, on the death of the previous youngest MP
  5. ^ Tony Benn was first elected at the Bristol South East by-election, 1950, aged 25, the day after Thomas Teevan, who was aged 23, but Benn took the oath the day before Teevan, and so was Baby of the House for a single day.
  6. ^ Tony Benn became the youngest MP again after the 1951 general election, on the defeat of Teevan.
  7. ^ a b Elected on an abstentionist ticket, Philip Clarke did not take his seat. Peter Kirk was first elected at the 1955 general election, when he became the youngest MP to take his seat, but only became the youngest MP with the disqualification of Philip Clarke later in the year.
  8. ^ Basil de Ferranti was the youngest MP for 15 days between his taking his seat after the Morecambe by-election and Patrick Wolrige-Gordon taking his seat after the East Aberdeenshire by-election. (source).
  9. ^ a b Elected on an abstentionist ticket, Bobby Sands and Owen Carron did not take their seats; Stephen Dorrell remained the youngest MP actually sitting in the House of Commons.
  10. ^ Although several sources claim Claire Ward was the youngest MP during this period, she was 50 days older than Christopher Leslie.

[edit] References

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