Eleanor Laing
A formidable parliamentary operator who broke barriers as the first woman to hold the ancient role of Chairman of Ways and Means.
Born 1958 (age 68)·British politician and life peer·Birthday: February 1·Baby Boomers
Biography
Eleanor Laing's career in Westminster was a masterclass in persistence and procedural mastery. Elected as MP for Epping Forest in 1997, she quickly established herself as a sharp and effective Conservative voice, serving in the shadow cabinets of Michael Howard and David Cameron. Her true legacy, however, was forged in the Speaker's chair. Appointed a Deputy Speaker in 2013, she brought a no-nonsense authority to managing the often raucous debates of the House of Commons. In 2020, she made history by becoming the first woman to serve as Chairman of Ways and Means, one of the three principal deputy speakers—a role steeped in centuries of tradition. Known for her crisp efficiency and command of standing orders, she guided the House through tumultuous years before taking a seat in the Lords.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Eleanor was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Eleanor Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Eleanor's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Member of Parliament for Epping Forest for 27 years, from 1997 to 2024.
- Became the first female Chairman of Ways and Means, a senior Deputy Speaker role, in 2020.
- Served as a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons for over a decade, from 2013 to 2024.
- Was appointed a life peer as Baroness Laing of Elderslie in 2024.
Did You Know?
She studied law at the University of Edinburgh and was a practicing solicitor before entering politics.
She served as the Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Shadow Minister for Women and Equality.
Her title, Baroness Laing of Elderslie, references Elderslie in Scotland, reputed to be the birthplace of William Wallace.
“The House of Commons is a theatre, and I know every line of the play.”
