Baroness Betty Boothroyd to sell jacket and shoes she wore in the House of Commons – so she can buy a new garage door

The 91-year-old is auctioning off the clothes she wore during her eight years as the only female Speaker of the Commons after having recently moved.

In April, she revealed that she was selling a series of gifts she had received during her political career because they did not fit into her new cabin.

The items – which included a papier-mâché box given to him by Russian President Boris Yeltsin – cost more than £ 4,000 when they went under the hammer.

Baroness Boothroyd is now parting with part of her wardrobe to raise money for a new garage door after moving from her London home to a small cottage in South Cambridgeshire.

The black single-breasted jacket and sleek black shoes worn by the formidable politician during her time in the Commons are expected to fetch over £ 2,000.

The jacket is made by Ede and Ravenscroft Ltd, London’s oldest tailor and dress maker, and is estimated to be priced between £ 1,000 and £ 2,000.

The size 5 pair of Tiffany of London pumps could go anywhere from £ 200 to £ 300 when they go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers in London on September 25.

Chris Kirkham, Associate Director of Hansons London, said: “Baroness Boothroyd is a national treasure and she wore these items when she was Madam President, making them part of the political history of Britain.

“She was a public speaker from 1992 to 2000 and has built a tremendous reputation for her ability to maintain order. Hansons London successfully staged a sale of around 70 items belonging to the Baroness earlier this year when she downsized.

“She is a wonderful woman and she always makes me smile. She told me that all the money raised from the sale of Madam President’s shoes and jacket would go to a new garage door.”

Treasures she had previously parted with included two Victorian crystal chandeliers and a Royal Navy decanter.

A limited-edition ceramic Lawrence of Arabia camel figure, one of six ever made, fetched £ 1,250 in May.

The 20th century box offered to the Baroness by Boris Yeltsin climbed to £ 2,400, 48 times his estimate of £ 50.

The former West Bromwich MP said at the time: ‘It was very difficult for me to part with some of the treasures that I had accumulated over the course of my life and my political career, but, due to the need to downsize, I just didn’t have room for anything more.

“I cherished everything, but I had to let go. They were a reminder of a colorful life. “

Baroness Boothroyd was born in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, in 1929, the only child of Ben Archibald Boothroyd and his wife Mary, both textile workers.

She was educated at communal schools and continued her education at Dewsbury College of Commerce and Art.

From 1946 to 1952, she worked as a dancer and performed at the London Palladium. However, a foot infection put an end to her dancing career and she entered politics.

Running for the Labor Party, Baroness Boothroyd contested several seats before being elected MP for West Bromwich in 1973.

In 1992, she was elected Speaker of the House of Commons, the first woman to hold this position in 700 years.

She has received many awards and accolades, but she is very proud of her Order of Merit, an honor bestowed as a personal gift by the Queen.

She has also rubbed shoulders with world leaders such as Nelson Mandela of South Africa and former US President Bill Clinton.