Baby of the House is the unofficial title given to the youngest member of a parliamentary house. The term is most often applied to members of the British parliament from which the term originated.[1] The title is named after the Father of the House, which is given to the longest serving member of the British and other parliaments.

United Kingdom

Becoming the Baby of the House of Commons is regarded as something of an achievement despite the lack of any special treatment that comes with the title. 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 many holders of the title have gone on to enjoy long and distinguished parliamentary careers.

From August 1999 to September 2001, all three of the leaders of the main political parties - Tony Blair, William Hague and Charles Kennedy - had been the youngest MPs in their party when they began their political careers, though only Kennedy had been Baby of the House.

Of those whose ages can be verified, the youngest MP since the Reform Act 1832[2] is Mhairi Black, elected in 2015 aged 20 years 237 days.[3] The age of candidacy for Parliament was lowered from 21 to 18 by the Electoral Administration Act 2006. William Pitt the Younger was elected at 21 and became Prime Minister two years later in 1783.

Owen Carron directly replaced Bobby Sands as both MP for Fermanagh South Tyrone and Baby of the House after Sands' death on hunger strike, but neither ever took his seat.[4] George Charles Grey is the only other Baby of the House to die while in post, in World War Two.[5]

List of babies of the House of Commons

In the following table, "(b)" denotes an M.P. elected at a by-election.

ElectedNameConstituencyPartyAge when elected
1880 (b)James DicksonDungannon Liberal 21
1885Harry Levy-LawsonSt Pancras West Liberal 22
1888 (b)Lord Walter Gordon-LennoxChichester Conservative 22
1890 (b)Henry HarrisonMid Tipperary Irish Parliamentary 22
1891 (b)Victor CavendishWest Derbyshire Conservative 23
1891 (b)Frederick SmithStrand Conservative 23
1892Thomas Bartholomew CurranKilkenny City Irish National Federation 22
1895Viscount MiltonWakefield Liberal Unionist 22
1898 (b)Sir Samuel Scott, BtMarylebone West Conservative 24
1898 (b)Arthur HillWest Down Conservative 24
1900Richard RiggAppleby Liberal 23
1904 (b)Viscount TurnourHorsham Conservative 21
1906Lord WodehouseMid Norfolk Liberal 22
Jan 1910Charles Thomas MillsUxbridge Conservative 22
Dec 1910Viscount WolmerNewton Liberal 23
1912 (b)Sir Philip Sassoon, BtHythe Conservative 23
1915 (b)John EsmondeNorth Tipperary Irish Parliamentary 21
1916 (b)Patrick WhittyNorth Louth Irish Parliamentary 21
1917 (b)Lord StanleyLiverpool Abercromby Conservative 22
1918[6]Joseph SweeneyWest Donegal Sinn Féin 21
1919 (b)Esmond HarmsworthIsle of Thanet Coalition Conservative 21
1922Arthur EvansLeicester East National Liberal 24
1923Charles RhysRomford Conservative 24
1924Hugh Lucas-ToothIsle of Ely Conservative 21
1929 (b)Jennie LeeNorth Lanarkshire Labour 24
1929Frank OwenHereford Liberal 23
1931Roland RobinsonWidnes Conservative 24
1933 (b)Lord Willoughby de EresbyRutland and Stamford Conservative 25
1935 (b)Charles TaylorEastbourne Conservative 24
1935Malcolm MacmillanWestern Isles Labour 22
1940 (b)John ProfumoKettering Conservative 25
1941 (b)George Charles GreyBerwick-upon-Tweed Liberal 22
1944[7]John ProfumoKettering Conservative 29
1945 (b)Ernest MillingtonChelmsford Common Wealth 29
1945Edward CarsonIsle of Thanet Conservative 25
1948 (b)Roy JenkinsSouthwark Central Labour 27
1950Peter BakerSouth Norfolk Conservative 28
1950 (b)[8]Tony BennBristol South East Labour 25
1950 (b)Thomas TeevanBelfast West Ulster Unionist 23
1951[9]Tony BennBristol South East Labour 26
1954 (b)John EdenBournemouth West Conservative 28
1954 (b)John WoollamLiverpool West Derby Conservative 27
1955[10]Philip ClarkeFermanagh and South Tyrone Sinn Féin 21
1955[10]Peter KirkGravesend Conservative 27
1956 (b)Marcus KimballGainsborough Conservative 27
1957 (b)Robert CookeBristol West Conservative 26
1958 (b)[11]Basil de FerrantiMorecambe and Lonsdale Conservative 28
1958 (b)Patrick Wolrige-GordonEast Aberdeenshire Conservative 23
1959 (b)Paul ChannonSouthend West Conservative 23
1964Teddy TaylorGlasgow Cathcart Conservative 27
1965 (b)David SteelRoxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles Liberal 26
1966John RyanUxbridge Labour 25
1967 (b)Les HuckfieldNuneaton Labour 24
1969 (b)Bernadette DevlinMid Ulster Unity 21
Feb 1974Dafydd Elis ThomasMerioneth Plaid Cymru 27
Oct 1974Hélène HaymanWelwyn and Hatfield Labour 25
1977 (b)Andrew MacKayBirmingham Stechford Conservative 27
1979 (b)David AltonLiverpool Edge Hill Liberal 28
1979Stephen DorrellLoughborough Conservative 27
1981 (b)[12]Bobby SandsFermanagh and South Tyrone Anti H-Block 27
1981[7]Stephen DorrellLoughborough Conservative 29
1981 (b)[12]Owen CarronFermanagh and South Tyrone Anti H-Block 28
1983Charles KennedyRoss, Cromarty and Skye SDP 23
1987 (b)Matthew TaylorTruro Liberal 24
1997[13]Chris LeslieShipley Labour 24
2000 (b)David LammyTottenham Labour 27
2003 (b)Sarah TeatherBrent East Liberal Democrats 29
2005Jo SwinsonEast Dunbartonshire Liberal Democrats 25
2009 (b)Chloe SmithNorwich North Conservative 27
2010Pamela NashAirdrie and Shotts Labour 25
2015Mhairi BlackPaisley and Renfrewshire South SNP 20
2019Nadia Whittome Nottingham East Labour 23
2023 (b)Keir MatherSelby and Ainsty Labour 25

Youngest member of the House of Lords

The title 'Baby of the House' is not used in the House of Lords, though the youngest member is recorded on the House website.[14] As of July 2023, the youngest member of the House is Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge (born 10 May 1993[15]), who was created a life peer in July 2023 at the age of 30, becoming the youngest ever life peer.[16][17]

The youngest male member of the House is Lord Kempsell (born 8 May 1992), who was likewise created a life peer in July 2023 at the age of 31.

Standing Orders state that "No Lord under the age of one and twenty years shall be permitted to sit in the House". When most members of the Lords were hereditary peers, a peer who had inherited his or her peerage(s) while under age was entitled to take a seat on the day before his or her 21st birthday. In theory, such a hereditary peer could still be elected to sit in the House at that age; in practice, the youngest hereditary peer to have been elected was Lord Freyberg (born 15 December 1970), who was elected in October 1999 at the age of 28.

List of youngest members of the Scottish Parliament

This is a list of youngest members of the Scottish Parliament created in 1999.

ElectedNameConstituency/regionPartyAge when elected
1999Duncan HamiltonHighlands and Islands region SNP 25[18]
2003Richard BakerNorth East Scotland region Labour 28
2007John LamontEttrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire constituency Conservative 31
2011Humza YousafGlasgow region SNP 26
2016Ross GreerWest Scotland region Scottish Green 21
2021Emma RoddickHighlands and Islands region SNP 23

List of youngest members of the Senedd

This is a list of youngest members of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), created in 1999. From its creation in 1999 until May 2020, the Senedd was known as the National Assembly for Wales (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru).

ElectedNameConstituency/regionPartyDOBAge when elected
1999Jonathan MorganSouth Wales Central Conservative19 March 197425
2003Laura Ann JonesSouth Wales East Conservative21 February 197924
2007Bethan JenkinsSouth Wales West Plaid Cymru9 December 198125
2016Steffan LewisSouth Wales East Plaid Cymru30 May 198431
2018 (b)Jack SargeantAlyn and Deeside Labour199423[19]
2021Luke FletcherSouth Wales West Plaid Cymru1995/9625[20]

Australia

In Australia the term is rarely used. 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 youngest Baby of the House was Wyatt Roy. He was elected at age 20 in 2010, being the youngest person ever to be elected to an Australian parliament.[21]

As of 2022, the current Baby of the House is the Member for Brisbane Stephen Bates (age 31). Senator Fatima Payman (age 27) is the youngest member of the Senate.

Azerbaijan

in the 2020 Azerbaijani parliamentary election, Sabina Khasayeva at the age of 27 was the youngest MP elected.[22]

Canada

The youngest-ever elected member of the House of Commons of Canada is Pierre-Luc Dusseault, who was elected at the age of 19 years and 11 months in 2011. Dusseault is the youngest MP in Canadian history.[23] In the past, MPs such as Sean O'Sullivan, Pierre Poilievre, Andrew Scheer, Claude-André Lachance and Lorne Nystrom have also held the distinction.

Eric Melillo is the youngest current MP, representing the riding of Kenora, Ontario, a member of the Conservative Party of Canada; born in 1998, elected at 21 years of age. The youngest member of the Senate of Canada is Patrick Brazeau of Repentigny, Quebec; born 1974, appointed at 34 years of age.

Finland

EnteredNameBornPartyNote
1970Paavo Väyrynen1946Centre Party
1972Erkki Liikanen1950Social Democratic Party of Finland
1979Pekka Starast1956Social Democratic Party of Finlanddied in 2011
1983Sirpa Pietikäinen1959National Coalition Party
1991Minna Karhunen1967National Coalition Party
1994Kirsi Piha1967National Coalition Party
1995Säde Tahvanainen1972Social Democratic Party of Finland
1999Petri Neittaanmäki1975Centre Party
2003Satu Taiveaho1976Social Democratic Party of Finland
2004Oras Tynkkynen1977Green League
2007Tuomo Puumala1982Centre Party
2011Olli Immonen1986Finns Party
2015Ilmari Nurminen1991Social Democratic Party of Finland
2019Iiris Suomela1994Green League
2023Olga Oinas-Panuma1999Centre Party

France

List of youngest members of the French Parliament

This is a list of youngest members of the French parliament.

ElectedNameDepartmentAge
1789Mathieu de Montmorency-LavalYvelines 22
1791Edme BonnerotYonne 24
1815Claude-René Bacot de RomandIndre-et-Loire 22
2012Marion Maréchal-Le PenVaucluse 22
2017Ludovic PajotPas-de-Calais 23
2022Tematai Le GayicFrench Polynesia 21

Germany

In Germany the term is rarely used. Emilia Fester was the youngest MP elected in the 2021 federal election at the age of 23.[24]

Emily Vontz became the youngest MP in 2023, at the age of 22.[25]

In 2022, Pascal Leddin became the youngest member of the Landtag of Lower Saxony.[26]

Grenada

Kerryne James was elected in the 2022 Grenadian general election at the age of 24 becoming the country's youngest ever legislator.[27]

Hong Kong

Nathan Law, the youngest member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, was elected at the age of 23.

In Hong Kong the term is rarely used. The current baby of the Legislative Council is Joephy Chan who was elected in the 2021 Legislative Council election.

The youngest-ever elected member from 1991 to 2016 was James To, who ran for the first Legislative Council direct election in 1991 at the age of 28. His record ceased in 2016, when the youngest-ever elected member Nathan Law and the youngest-ever elected female member Yau Wai-ching, were both elected in the 2016 election at the age of 23 and 25 respectively, were both disqualified over the oath-taking controversy between 2016 and 2017. He was replaced by Ho Kai-ming, who was the fourth-youngest member when he was elected in 2016. He was later replaced by Au Nok-hin who was elected in the 2018 by-election but was unseated in 2019. The title went back to Ho who subsequently resigned in May 2020 for joining the government and was replaced by Cheng Chung-tai who was the fifth youngest member in 2016, until himself got disqualified in August 2021. The title eventually returned to Steven Ho who was elected as the youngest member in 2012.

DurationNameDate of birthConstituencyPartyElectedStart age
1 October 1991 – 1 July 1998James To11 March 1963Kowloon Southwest GC United Democrats199128 years, 6 months
1 July 1998 – 1 October 2008Bernard Chan11 January 1965Insurance FC Nonpartisan199833 years, 5 months
1 October 2008 – 1 October 2012Chan Hak-kan24 April 1976New Territories East GC DAB200832 years, 5 months
1 October 2012 – 29 February 2016Steven Ho30 November 1979Agriculture and Fisheries FC DAB201232 years, 10 months
29 February 2016 – 1 October 2016Alvin Yeung5 June 1981New Territories East GC Civic2016 (b)34 years, 8 months
1 October 2016 – 14 July 2017Nathan Law13 July 1993Hong Kong Island GC Demosisto201623 years, 2 months
14 July 2017 – 21 March 2018Ho Kai-ming6 January 1985Labour FC FTU201632 years, 6 months
21 March 2018 – 17 December 2019Au Nok-hin18 June 1987Hong Kong Island GC Independent2018 (b)30 years, 9 months
17 December 2019 – 31 May 2020Ho Kai-ming6 January 1985Labour FC FTU201634 years, 11 months
31 May 2020 – 26 August 2021Cheng Chung-tai5 November 1983New Territories West GC Civic Passion201636 years, 6 months
26 August 2021 – 31 December 2021Steven Ho30 November 1979Agriculture and Fisheries FC DAB201241 years, 8 months
1 January 2022 – PresentJoephy Chan1 December 1990New Territories South West GC FTU202131 years, 1 month

[ (b) – by-election]

Hungary

The youngest-ever elected member of the National Assembly is Ilona Burka, who became MP at the age of 19 years, 5 months and 13 days on 12 May 1971, following the 1971 parliamentary election.

Member Party Date
Károly Wirth NYKP 1939–1944
András Kis MKP 1944–1945
András Hegedüs MKP 1945
István B. Rácz FKGP 1945–1947
János Gosztonyi NPP 1947–1949
Etel Kurlik MDP 1949–1953
Mária Inklovics MDP
MSZMP		 1953–1957
Margit Kaptur MSZMP 1957–1958
Jusztina Csarnai MSZMP 1958–1963
István Ollári MSZMP 1963–1967
István Bartha MSZMP 1967–1971
Ilona Burka MSZMP 1971–1975
Valéria Czégai MSZMP 1975–1980
Ibolya Kovács MSZMP 1980–1985
Márta Danka MSZMP 1985–1989
Edit Bödő-Rózsa Ind. 1989–1990
SZDSZ
Béla Glattfelder Fidesz 1990–1993
Róbert Répássy Fidesz 1993–1994
László Botka MSZP 1994–1998
János Zuschlag MSZP 1998–2002
Péter Szijjártó Fidesz 2002–2006
László Nagy MSZP 2006–2010
Dóra Dúró Jobbik 2010–2018
Péter Ungár LMP 2018–2022
Miklós Hajnal Momentum 2022–present

India

ElectedNameConstituencyPartyAge when elected
1984Prakash Chandra YadavBarh INC 25 years, 3 months[28]
1989Nakul NayakPhulbani JD 26 years, 8 months[29]
1991Dipika ChikhliaVadodara BJP 26 years, 2 months[30]
1996Nihal Chand ChauhanGanganagar BJP 25 years, 4 months[31]
1998Yogi AdityanathGorakhpur BJP 25 years, 8 months[32]
2000 (b)Akhilesh YadavKannauj SP 26 years, 7 months[33]
2004 (b)Dharmendra YadavMainpuri SP 25 years, 8 months[34]
2009Muhammed Hamdulla SayeedLakshadweep INC 27 years, 0 months[35]
2014Dushyant ChautalaHisar INLD 26 years, 1 month[36]
2019Chandrani MurmuKeonjhar BJD 25 years, 11 months

[(b) – by-election]

Iran

Source:[37]
Elected Member Affiliation Age when elected
2012 Mohammad Hassannejad Independent 31
2016 Fatemeh Hosseini List of Hope 30

Ireland

In the Republic of Ireland the term is rarely used, as TDs normally enter the Dáil after a political career in local government, usually only in their thirties and later. The current baby of the Dáil is the Fianna Fáil deputy James O'Connor (Cork East), who was 22 years and 7 months old when elected in February 2020.

The youngest TD of all time was William J. Murphy, elected age 21 years 29 days; the youngest female TD was Kathleen O'Connor, 21 years 7 months.

List of babies of the Dáil

Elected Name Constituency Party Age
1918 Joseph Sweeney[38] West Donegal Sinn Féin 21
1927 Timothy Quill Cork North Labour 26
1937 A. P. Byrne Dublin North-West Independent 24
1943 Oliver J. Flanagan Laois–Offaly Fine Gael 23
1948 Neil Blaney Donegal East Fianna Fáil 26
1949 William J. Murphy Cork West Labour 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 Wexford Fianna Fáil 21
1965 Des 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 Dublin County Mid 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 24
2007 Lucinda Creighton Dublin South-East Fine Gael 27
2011 Simon Harris Wicklow Fine Gael 24
2016 Jack Chambers Dublin West Fianna Fáil 25
2020 James O'Connor Cork East Fianna Fáil 22

Baby of Seanad Éireann

Elected Name Panel Party Age
2011 Kathryn Reilly[39] Industrial and Commercial Panel Sinn Féin 22
2016 Fintan Warfield Cultural and Educational Panel Sinn Féin 24

Israel

In Israel the term is seldom used. The youngest member of the current Knesset is Yitzhak Wasserlauf of Otzma Yehudit elected in 2022 aged 30.

The youngest member of the Knesset ever is Moshe Nissim, elected in 1959 aged 24.

Italy

Enzo Lattuca, baby of the Italian Chamber of Deputies (2013–2018) and youngest deputy ever.
Rachele Scarpa, current baby of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.

The youngest member of the Chamber of Deputies ever is Enzo Lattuca (PD), elected in 2013, aged 25 years, 1 month, and 6 days.

ElectedNamePartyDate of birthAge
1948Francesco PignatoneDC30 March 192325 years, 39 days
1953Fabio De FeliceMSI13 July 192725 years, 347 days
1958Riccardo MisasiDC14 July 193225 years, 333 days
1963Luigi BerlinguerPCI25 July 193230 years, 295 days
1967Giuseppe Antonio BottaroPCI21 October 193333 years, 138 days
1968Carlo SangalliDC31 August 193730 years, 279 days
1972Giuseppa MendolaPCI4 December 194526 years, 173 days
1976Paolo AllegraPCI2 December 195025 years, 216 days
1979Anna Maria Castelli MigaliPCI5 October 195127 years, 258 days
1979Michl EbnerSVP20 September 195226 years, 363 days
1983Giovanni NegriPR16 May 195726 years, 57 days
1987Cristina BevilacquaPCI9 March 196225 years, 115 days
1992Elisabetta BertottiLN8 December 196625 years, 137 days
1994Sebastiano FogliatoLN28 September 196726 years, 199 days
1996Franca GambatoLN31 August 196926 years, 252 days
2001Chiara MoroniNPSI23 October 197426 years, 219 days
2006Arturo ScottoDS15 May 197827 years, 348 days
2008Annagrazia CalabriaPdL6 May 198225 years, 359 days
2013Enzo LattucaPD9 February 198825 years, 34 days
2018Angela RaffaM5S26 January 199325 years, 56 days
2022Rachele ScarpaPD29 January 199725 years, 257 days

Kenya

MP Age Party Constituency Election Parliament
John Paul Mwirigi[40] 23 UDA Igembe South 2017 12th Parliament

Malawi

The youngest MP in Malawi was Angela Zachepa who was voted in as MP at age 21.[41]

Malaysia

In Malaysia, the term is rarely used. Most MPs are elected and Senators are appointed or elected usually in their Middle Ages but some prominent ones have been elected or appointed in their young ages including former Prime Minister and corrupt ruler Najib Razak who was elected at 22 years and 6 months in age in 1976. The youngest ever elected is Batu MP Prabakaran Parameswaran, who was elected at the age of 22 years and 3 months in 2018.[42] The present Baby of the House is Sungai Petani MP Mohammed Taufiq Johari who was elected in 2022. Mohammed Taufiq is a month younger than Prabakaran. Any citizen 18 years of age or older can become a candidate and be elected to the Dewan Rakyat as an MP and State Legislative Assemblies of Malaysia as an MP[43] while any citizen 30 years of age or older can be appointed or elected to the Dewan Negara as a Senator.

Marshall Islands

In the 2019 general election, Kitlang Kabua became the youngest person ever elected to the Nitijeļā.[44][45]

New Zealand

Swarbrick in 2017

The term "Baby of the House" is rarely used in New Zealand. The current Baby of the House is Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke of Te Pāti Māori, who was elected on 14 October 2023 aged 21.[46] Maipi-Clarke succeeded Chlöe Swarbrick of the Green Party, who was elected on 24 September 2017 aged 23.[47]

Youngest MPs in the New Zealand House of Representatives
NameElected fromPartyDate of birthBecame babyAge
James Stuart-WortleyChristchurch Country Independent 16 January 18331 October 185320 years, 258 days
Augustus WhiteAkaroa Independent 183913 February 186122
Robert CampbellOamaru Independent 8 January 18436 April 186623 years, 88 days
Ralph RichardsonSuburbs of Nelson Independent 184823 January 187122
William PearsonAshley Independent 18549 December 188127
Arthur RhodesGladstone Independent 20 March 185926 September 188728 years, 190 days
Jackson PalmerWaitemata Independent Liberal 18675 December 189023
Patrick O'ReganInangahua Liberal 6 February 186920 December 189324 years, 317 days
Thomas WilfordWellington Suburbs Liberal 20 June 18704 December 189626 years, 167 days
Harry BedfordCity of Dunedin Liberal 31 August 187725 November 190225 years, 86 days
Francis FisherWellington Central Liberal 22 December 18776 December 190527 years, 349 days
Tom SeddonWestland Liberal 2 July 188413 July 190622 years, 11 days
John A. LeeAuckland East Labour 31 October 18917 December 192231 years, 37 days
George BlackMotueka United 21 November 190314 November 192824 years, 359 days
Keith HolyoakeMotueka Reform 11 February 19041 December 193228 years, 294 days
Terry McCombsLyttelton Labour 5 September 190524 July 193529 years, 322 days
Ormond WilsonRangitikei Labour 18 November 190727 November 193528 years, 9 days
Joseph CotterillWanganui Labour 26 September 190515 October 193833 years, 19 days
Tapihana Paraire PaikeaNorthern Maori Labour 26 January 192024 September 194323 years, 241 days
Warren FreerMt Albert Labour 27 December 192024 September 194726 years, 271 days
Jim EdwardsNapier Labour 24 February 192713 November 195427 years, 262 days
Basil ArthurTimaru Labour 18 September 192821 July 196233 years, 306 days
Brian MacDonellDunedin Central Labour 19 May 193530 November 196328 years, 195 days
Jonathan HuntNew Lynn Labour 2 December 193826 November 196627 years, 359 days
Murray RoseOtago Central National 14 December 193929 November 196929 years, 350 days
Mike MooreEden Labour 28 January 194925 November 197223 years, 302 days
Marilyn WaringRaglan National 7 October 195229 November 197523 years, 53 days
Simon UptonWaikato National 7 February 195828 November 198123 years, 294 days
Nick SmithTasman National 24 December 196427 October 199025 years, 307 days
Nanaia MahutaList Labour 21 August 197012 October 199626 years, 52 days
Darren HughesŌtaki Labour 3 April 197827 July 200224 years, 115 days
Jacinda ArdernList Labour 26 July 19808 November 200828 years, 105 days
Gareth HughesList Green 31 October 198111 February 201028 years, 103 days
Jami-Lee RossBotany National 10 December 19855 March 201125 years, 85 days
Todd BarclayClutha-Southland National 8 June 199020 September 201424 years, 104 days
Chlöe SwarbrickList Green 26 June 199423 September 201723 years, 89 days
Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-ClarkeHauraki-Waikato Te Pāti Māori September 200214 October 202321 years, 18 days

Philippines

In the Congress of the Philippines, the term "Baby of the House" is rarely used; the term "Benjamin" of the chamber is used instead.[48] Special treatment is not given to the youngest member of either chamber. However, by tradition, the youngest member of the chamber usually administers the oath of office to their incoming leader (i.e. President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives).

The minimum age for being a member of the House of Representatives is 25 years old, while for the Senate, it is 35, as stipulated in the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines. In 1933, Benigno Aquino, Sr. became senator at the age of 33;[49] the Jones Law, which created the Senate, had prescribed the minimum age of 30.

The current Benjamin of the House is Representative Braeden Jaime Cojuangco of the 1st District of Tarlac. Meanwhile, Senator Mark Villar has been the youngest Senator since 2022.[50]

List of youngest members of the Philippine House of Representatives

Entered Name Party District Date of Birth Assumed Office Age Note Ref
1987 Gerardo A. Roxas Jr. Liberal Capiz–1st 21 October 1960 30 June 1987 26 years, 252 days
1992 Ralph Recto LDP Batangas–4th 11 January 1964 30 June 1992 28 years, 171 days [51]
1995 Mike Defensor Liberal Quezon City–3rd 30 June 1969 30 June 1995 26 years, 0 days [51]
1998 Alan Peter Cayetano Lakas–CMD Pateros–Taguig 28 October 1970 30 June 1998 27 years, 245 days [51]
2001 Felix William Fuentebella NPC Camarines Sur–3rd 5 February 1975 30 June 2001 26 years, 145 days [48]
2002 Joel Villanueva CIBAC Partylist 2 August 1975 6 February 2002 25 years, 188 days [48]
2004 Joel Villanueva CIBAC Partylist 2 August 1975 20 June 2004 28 years, 333 days
2007 Sharee Ann Tan Lakas Samar–2nd 11 May 1982 30 June 2007 25 years, 50 days [51]
2010 Abigail Faye Ferriol-Pascual   Kalinga Partylist 21 September 1984 30 June 2010 25 years, 282 days sworn in Feliciano Belmonte as Speaker[52] [53]
2013 Xavier Jesus Romualdo Liberal Camiguin 5 December 1986 30 June 2013 26 years, 207 days sworn in Feliciano Belmonte as Speaker[54] [55]
2016 Dennis Laogan Ang Kabuhayan Partylist 1 September 1990 30 June 2016 25 years, 303 days sworn in Pantaleon Alvarez[56] and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo[57] as Speaker [58]
2019 Braeden John Biron Nacionalista Iloilo–4th 10 January 1994 30 June 2019 25 years, 171 days sworn in Alan Peter Cayetano as Speaker [50]
2022 Jaime Cojuangco NPC Tarlac–1st 12 April 1997 30 June 2022 25 years, 79 days sworn in Martin Romualdez as Speaker

List of youngest members of the Philippine Senate

Congress Name Party Date of Birth Age When Elected From To
8th Joey Lina UNIDO 22 December 1951 35 years, 190 days 30 June 1987 30 June 1992
9th, 10th Nikki Coseteng NPC 18 December 1952 39 years, 195 days 30 June 1992 30 June 1998
11th Loren Legarda Lakas 28 January 1960 38 years, 153 days 30 June 1998 30 June 2001
12th Ralph Recto Nacionalista 11 January 1964 37 years, 170 days 30 June 2001 30 June 2004
13th Bong Revilla Lakas 25 September 1966 37 years, 279 days 30 June 2004 30 June 2007
14th, 15th Antonio Trillanes Nacionalista 6 August 1971 35 years, 327 days 30 June 2007 30 June 2013
16th Bam Aquino Liberal 9 May 1977 36 years, 52 days 30 June 2013 30 June 2016
17th, 18th Manny Pacquiao PCM 17 December 1978 37 years, 196 days 30 June 2016 30 June 2022
19th Mark Villar Nacionalista 14 August 1978 43 years, 320 days 30 June 2022 present

Russia

ElectedNamePartyAge when elected
1993Aleksey ZuevLDPR23
1995Darya MitinaCPRF22
1999Vladislav DyominLDPR25
2003Pavel SemjonovUnited Russia27
2007Robert SchlegelUnited Russia23
2016Vasily VlasovLDPR21
2021Georgy Arapov[59]New People22

Singapore

The current youngest MP in Singapore's parliament is Nadia Ahmad Samdin, who was elected at age 30 in 2020.[60][61][62] The youngest MP ever elected in Singapore is Lim Chin Siong, who was elected at the age of 22 in the 1955 election.[62]

ElectedNamePartyAge
1955Lim Chin SiongPAP22
1976Tan Soo KhoonPAP27
2011Tin Pei LingPAP27
2020Raeesah KhanWP26
2020Nadia Ahmad SamdinPAP30

South Africa

The current, since 2017, titleholder is Hlomela Bucwa of the Democratic Alliance.[63]

Sweden

EnteredNameConstituencyPartyAgeNote
2002Gustav FridolinStockholm Municipality Green 19Spokesperson of the Green Party, 2011–2019
Minister for Education, 2014–2019
2006Annie LööfJönköping County Centre 23Leader of the Centre Party, 2011–2023
Minister for Enterprise, 2011–2014
2010Anton AbeleStockholm Municipality Moderate 18
2014Dennis DioukarevJönköping County Sweden Democrats 21
2015Jesper Skalberg KarlssonGotland County Moderate 21Replaced Gustaf Hoffstedt on 19 January 2015 when Hoffstedt resigned his seat.
2018Ebba HermanssonSkåne County Sweden Democrats 22
21 September 2021Axel HallbergSkåne County Green 22Replaced Emma Berginger on 20 September 2021 during her leave of absence
19 May 2022Tobias AnderssonVästra Götaland County East Sweden Democrats 26When Emma Berginger returned from her leave of absence on 19 May 2022, Axel Hallberg automatically left the Parliament. Since Ebba Hermansson, the previous Baby of the House, had resigned her seat in December 2021 the new Baby of the House became Tobias Andersson at the age of 26.
26 September 2022Aida Birinxhiku[64]Halland County Social Democrats 23Aida Birinxhiku become the youngest member of the Parliament following the 2022 general election.
18 January 2023Daniel Lönn[65]Dalarna County Sweden Democrats 21Replaced Sara Gille from 18 January 2023 during her leave of absence. This happened since Rasmus Giertz, who had up to then replaced Sara Gille, became an ordinary member of the Parliament following Mats Nordberg's death.
31 March 2023Aida Birinxhiku[64]Halland County Social Democrats 23Aida Birinxhiku regained her position as the youngest member of the Parliament after Sara Gille returned from her leave of absence, thus ending Daniel Lönns time in Parliament.

The current Baby of the House is Aida Birinxhiku. The youngest person ever to be elected MP to a Swedish parliament is Anton Abele who was only aged 18 when elected in September 2010.[66] Current record holder for the world's youngest-ever elected MP is Anton Abele, who was at 18 years elected to the Swedish Parliament for his activism against street violence.[67]

Turkey

Rümeysa Kadak (born 16 May 1996) is the youngest MP in the history of Republic of Turkey.[68]

Trinidad and Tobago

Saddam Hosein is the baby of the house of the 12th Republican Parliament.[69]

Uganda

At 19 years old, Proscovia Alengot Oromait was the world's youngest MP and youngest ever MP in Africa when elected in 2011.[70][71] Oromait is a member of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in Uganda and was a representative of Usuk County until 2016.[72] She was succeeded by Hellen Auma Wandera as the youngest member of parliament in Uganda.[73]

United States

While the term is used in the Commonwealth Parliaments, Baby of the House or Senate is not in general contemporary use in the United States, nor does being the youngest member confer special treatment in either house of Congress.

Members of the US Congress tend to be older than parliamentarians elsewhere in the English-speaking world, a main factor being that the minimum ages for members of Congress is written into Article One of the United States Constitution, which forbids those under the age of 25 from serving in the House, and those under the age of 30 from serving in the Senate. Moreover, election to the federal Congress is expensive and requires extensive contacts and recognition across a very wide area. Individuals aiming to serve in the federal legislature generally seek election to the state legislature (which generally have lower minimum ages for entry) or other state office before seeking to serve in Washington.

In the 118th Congress, which began on 3 January 2023, the youngest member of the United States House of Representatives is Maxwell Frost, who was born on 17 January 1997 and was first elected in 2022.

Currently the youngest US senator is Jon Ossoff, born on 16 February 1987, and first elected to a full term in the Senate in the 2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a commonwealth country where "baby of the house" isn't used but young MPs are represented in the Parliament of Zimbabwe.[74]

MP Party Constituency Age Election Parliament Source
Joanah Mamombe Movement for Democratic Change Alliance Harare West 25 2018 9th Parliament of Zimbabwe [75]
Takudzwa Ngadziore Citizens Coalition for Change Youth quota 24 2023 10th Parliament of Zimbabwe [76]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ of the House: House of Commons Background Paper – Commons Library Standard Note from UK Parliament, accessed on 1 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Prior to 1832 minors could be elected; precise information on those MPs is often unclear.
  3. ↑ MacAskill, Ewen; Ratcliffe, Rebecca (8 May 2015). "Mhairi Black: the 20-year-old who beat a Labour heavyweight". Retrieved 6 January 2018 – via www.theguardian.com.
  4. ↑ "1981: Hunger striker elected MP". Retrieved 23 July 2023 – via www.theguardian.com.
  5. ↑ "Whitehall, October 17, 1944". The Gazette. The Gazette. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  6. ↑ Joseph Sweeney did not take his seat; the youngest MP actually sitting in the House of Commons was Oswald Mosley (Conservative, aged 22)
  7. 1 2 Became the youngest MP for a second time, on the death of the previous youngest MP
  8. ↑ 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
  9. ↑ Tony Benn became the youngest MP again after the 1951 general election, on the defeat of Teevan
  10. 1 2 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
  11. ↑ Basil de Ferranti was the youngest MP for 15 days between his taking his seat after the 1958 Morecambe and Lonsdale by-election and Patrick Wolrige-Gordon taking his seat after the East Aberdeenshire by-election, 1958
  12. 1 2 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
  13. ↑ Although several sources claim Claire Ward was the youngest MP during this period, she was 50 days older than Chris Leslie
  14. ↑ Parliament.UK – House of Lords FAQS – Membership and principal office holders at parliament.uk
  15. ↑ "Charlotte Owen". api.parliament.uk. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  16. ↑ "No. 64117". The London Gazette. 18 July 2023. p. 14218.
  17. ↑ Rogers, Alexandra (9 June 2023). "Partygate aides among those named in Boris Johnson's resignation honours list but others miss out". Sky News. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  18. ↑ McColm, Euan (8 March 2017). "This time the SNP will get real". The Scotsman. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  19. ↑ Shipton, Martin; Hodgson, Sarah (7 February 2018). "Jack Sargeant wins Alyn and Deeside by-election after his father's death". Wales Online. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  20. ↑ BBC News (10 May 2021). "Welsh Parliament election: Senedd members get to work". BBC News. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  21. ↑ "Australia's youngest MP says future PM suggestion is 'ridiculous'". news.com.au. 4 October 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  22. ↑ "23-VIQR - Azərbaycan Respublikası Milli Məclisinin Regional məsələlər komitəsi üzvlərinin seçilməsi haqqında". 20 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  23. ↑ Banerjee, Sidhartha (4 May 2011). "19-year-old sets record as youngest MP; NDPer planned summer job at golf course". The Canadian Press.
  24. ↑ "Grünen-Politikerin Emilia Fester - Ersti-Woche im Bundestag". Deutschlandfunk Kultur (in German). Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  25. ↑ "Emily Vontz: "Laut sein für meine Generation"". www.zdf.de (in German). Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  26. ↑ "Von FFF in den Landtag: Jüngster Abgeordneter ist 23 - WELT". DIE WELT (in German). 13 October 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  27. ↑ "Youngest elected representative in the history of Grenada - Kerryne Z. James". Caribbean American Passport. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  28. ↑ "Members' Bioprofile - Prakash Chandra". Parliament of India - Lok Sabha. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  29. ↑ "Members' Bioprofile - Nakul Nayak". Parliament of India - Lok Sabha. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  30. ↑ "Members' Bioprofile - Smt. Dipika Topiwala". Parliament of India - Lok Sabha. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  31. ↑ "Members' Bioprofile". Parliament of India - Lok Sabha. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  32. ↑ Parliament of India - Twelfth Lok Sabha: Who's Who (1999) (PDF). New Delhi: Lok Sabha Secretariat. 1999. p. 1219.
  33. ↑ Parliament of India - Thirteenth Lok Sabha: Who's Who (2000) (PDF). New Delhi: Lok Sabha Secretariat. 2000. p. 1253.
  34. ↑ Parliament of India - Fourteenth Lok Sabha: Who's Who (2005) (PDF). New Delhi: Lok Sabha Secretariat. 2005. p. 1309.
  35. ↑ Parliament of India - Fifteenth Lok Sabha: Who's Who (2011) (PDF). New Delhi: Lok Sabha Secretariat. 2011. p. 1333.
  36. ↑ Parliament of India - Sixteenth Lok Sabha: Who's Who (2016) (PDF). New Delhi: Lok Sabha Secretariat. 2016. p. 1391.
  37. ↑ Nasrin Vaziri. "اعضای هیات رئیسه سنی در 10 مجلس شورای اسلامی/چهار رئیس سنی تا کنون درگذشته‌اند" (in Persian). Khabar Online. Archived from the original on 26 May 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  38. ↑ Joseph Sweeney did not take his seat in the House of Commons but sat in the First Dáil
  39. ↑ O'Regan, Michael (30 April 2011). "SF woman (22) is youngest ever Senator". The Irish Times. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  40. ↑ Rene Otinga (16 September 2017). "Pleasant surprise: Uhuru donates brand new Toyota Prado to 'broke' 23-year-old MP as he promised". Nairobi: TUKO Kenya. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  41. ↑ "Atupele Muluzi to engage former youngest parliamentarian, Angella Zachepa | Malawi Voice". Archived from the original on 1 July 2010. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  42. ↑ "Malaysia's youngest MP Prabakaran joins PKR". Malay Mail. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  43. ↑ "Penjalanan Pilihan Raya: Calon". Election Commission of Malaysia. Archived from the original on 23 April 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  44. ↑ "Hon Kitlang Kabua". Pacific Women in Politics. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020.
  45. ↑ Johnson, Giff (20 January 2020). "Marshalls' President Kabua's inauguration set for Monday". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020.
  46. ↑ "Nanaia Mahuta unseated by 21-year-old newcomer Hana Maipi-Clarke". 1 News. 14 October 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  47. ↑ "Chloe Swarbrick, 23, set to become NZ's youngest MP in 42 years". The New Zealand Herald. 23 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  48. 1 2 3 Labog-Javellana, Juliet (7 February 2002). "New Solon takes office with much fanfare". news.google.com. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  49. ↑ "FAST FACTS: Trivia on the Philippine Senate". Rappler. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  50. 1 2 Bueza, Michael (2 July 2019). "18th Congress, by the numbers". Rappler. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  51. 1 2 3 4 "GMA News Research: More young reps in but oldies still rule". GMA News Online. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  52. ↑ "House of Representatives Press Releases". www.congress.gov.ph. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  53. ↑ "Youngest in the House". 20 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2020 – via PressReader.
  54. ↑ Boncocan, Karen (22 July 2013). "House re-elects Belmonte in overwhelming vote". newsinfo.inquirer.net. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  55. ↑ "Rep. XJ Romualdo ng Camiguin, pinakabatang kongresista sa bansa". GMA News Online. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  56. ↑ "Duterte ally Pantaleon Alvarez elected as Speaker of 17th Congress". GMA News Online. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  57. ↑ Nonato, Gabriel Pabico Lalu, Pathricia Ann V. Roxas, Vince F. (24 July 2018). "Backed by 184 lawmakers, Gloria Arroyo takes oath as Speaker". newsinfo.inquirer.net. Retrieved 14 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  58. ↑ Bueza, Michael (24 July 2016). "By the numbers: 17th Congress". Rappler. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  59. ↑ "Чем богаты депутаты". Газета РБК. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  60. ↑ Yip, Christy. "GE2020: Age is no issue, says PAP's youngest candidate Nadia Samdin". CNA. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  61. ↑ Auto, Hermes (21 August 2015). "PAP's Tin Pei Ling will defend MacPherson single-seat ward in coming general election | The Straits Times". Straits Times. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  62. 1 2 Lay, Belmont (11 July 2020). "Sengkang GRC MP-elect Raeesah Khan, 26, set to be youngest MP in modern S'pore". Mothership. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  63. ↑ Shaban, Abdur Rahman Alfa (22 February 2017). "South Africa's youngest MP dazzles as she delivers her first address". Africanews. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  64. 1 2 Aida Birinxhiku is the youngest MP 2022-09-25 (in Swedish)
  65. ↑ 21-åring blir yngst i riksdagen 2023-01-17 (in Swedish)
  66. ↑ Anton, 18, to be youngest ever Swedish MP – The Local Archived 15 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  67. ↑ "FutureWorld » Ugandan teenager becomes youngest MP in Africa". Archived from the original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  68. ↑ "TÜRKİYE BÜYÜK MİLLET MECLİSİ". www5.tbmm.gov.tr. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  69. ↑ "Saddam Hosein Biography". Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago.
  70. ↑ "Uganda scraps anti-porn 'miniskirt' law". France 24. 17 August 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  71. ↑ Nunoo, Ama (9 September 2020). "At 19, this Ugandan woman became Africa's youngest lawmaker". Face2Face Africa. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  72. ↑ Adeyemo, Adeola (20 September 2012). "Here Comes Africa's Youngest Parliamentarian! 19 Year-Old Proscovia Alengot Oromait Wins a Parliamentary Seat in Ugandan Elections & Makes History". BellaNaija. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  73. ↑ "Fish vendor now Uganda's youngest serving MP". The Citizen. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  74. ↑ "Joana Mamombe: Meet the Zimbabwe Youngest Member of Parliament, Age 25". How Africa News. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  75. ↑ tubei, george (10 September 2018). "Meet Zimbabwe's youngest legislator, Joanah Mamombe who at 25 represents Harare West Constituency". Business Insider Africa. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  76. ↑ Ndoro, Nyashadzashe (1 November 2023). "Zimbabwe's youngest MP Takudzwa Ngadziore abducted by men armed with AK47s". Nehanda Radio. Retrieved 15 November 2023.

References

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