125th anniversary of the birth of Speaker Horace Maybray-King
Tabled 18 May 2026 by Luke Myer
That this House marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of Horace Maybray-King, born in Grangetown on Teesside on 25 May 1901; notes his journey from a working-class background to a lifetime of public service; recognises his work as a teacher, scholar and Labour Member of Parliament for Southampton Test and later Southampton Itchen, where he served for over two decades; further notes his historic election in 1965 as the first Speaker of the House of Commons to come from the Labour Party; acknowledges his service in the Chair and his role in modernising parliamentary procedure, including improvements to Question Time and reforms which reflected a changing Parliament; and celebrates his legacy as Speaker and a life reflecting the contribution of both Teesside and Southampton to public life.