Who is the Father of the House? Sir Peter Bottomley, elected in 1975, to stand once more in 2024

The general election on July 4 will cause a changing of the guard, with around 100 MPs not standing again and a possible new Government elected.

Rishi Sunak, having called the vote on Wednesday (May 22), is aware he faces a real challenge to remain in No 10 with Labour leading the polls.

Not every Parliamentary candidate has yet been named for the 650 seats up for grabs and other incumbents could yet announce their retirement.

But Parliament will retain its ‘Father of the House’ — assuming he is re-elected.

Who is the Father of the House in the UK?

The title has been awarded since 1899 to the most senior member of the House of Commons. It is given to the MP who has completed the longest tenure, not necessarily (although very often) the oldest MP.

This title is mostly honorary and carries certain ceremonial duties, such as presiding over the election of a new Speaker in the event of a vacancy.

Former prime ministers Ted Heath and Sir Winston Churchill have previously held the honour. There has never been a female ‘Mother of the House’.

Sir Peter Bottomley has been the Father of the House since 2019. The Tory MP for Worthing West has been a fixture in the Commons since 1975.

Sir Peter will be standing again at the 2024 general election.

“I will go on fighting the good fight for the people of Worthing and Arun,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter, earlier this year. If re-elected, he would clock up a landmark 50th year on the benches in 2025.

He added: “My prime focus continues to be on promoting the wellbeing, health and happiness of my constituents.

“Thank you to those who support me in moving forward, not backward, as their representative in Parliament.”

Sir Peter, 79, would be in his 80s if he remains in office. He turns 80 on July 30.

The West Sussex constituency has a 15,000 Conservative majority and would be tough for Labour or the Lib Dems to win. Sir Peter has been the only MP there since 1997.

Who is the oldest MP in the UK?

Tory MP for Stone, Sir Bill Cash, 84, and Labour grandee Barry Sheerman, 83, are older than Sir Peter. However, neither is seeking re-election.

Labour’s Harriet Harman, 73, is also dropping out although Jeremy Corbyn, 74, may contest Islington North. The former party leader has been an independent MP for Islington North since 2020 when he had the Labour whip suspended.

But Sir Peter will not be the oldest if Sir Roger Gale is re-elected in North Thanet. The Conservative, 80, has been MP since 1983 and has not announced he will be stepping down.

Of course, Sir Roger could lose his status as the oldest MP if he loses the vote or another party gets an even older candidate elected.

He could become the oldest MP but is younger than the US President Joe Biden, 81.

The record of the oldest MP in the UK belongs to Samuel Young, who died in 1918 aged 96 and 63 days while still in office. He became East Cavan MP, aged 70, in 1892.