Baby of the House
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. 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 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.At the turn of the twenty-first century, all three of the leaders of the main political parties had been the youngest MPs in their party when they began their political careers.
Of those whose ages can be verified, the youngest MP since the Reform Act of 1832 is Mhairi Black, elected in 2015 aged 20 years 237 days. The age of candidacy for Parliament was lowered from 21 to 18 by the Electoral Administration Act of 2006. William Pitt the Younger was elected at 21 and became Prime Minister two years later in 1783.
List of Babies of the House of Commons
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. The youngest life peer and youngest woman in the House is Baroness Penn who was created a life peer in October 2019.The youngest man in the House of Lords is Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay who was created a life peer in October 2019. Both were in their 30s.
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 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, who was elected in October 1999 at the age of 28.
Hereditary peer Lord Redesdale was created a life peer on 18 April 2000 at the age of 32, becoming the youngest ever life peer, to enable him to continue to sit after the removal of the majority of hereditary peers.
List of youngest members of the Scottish Parliament
This is a list of youngest members of the Scottish Parliament created in 1999.| Elected | Name | Constituency/region | Party | Age when elected | |
| Highlands and Islands region | 25 | - | - | ||
| North East Scotland region | 28 | - | - | ||
| Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire constituency | 31 | - | - | ||
| Glasgow region | 26 | - | - | ||
| West Scotland region | 21 | - | - |
List of youngest members of the National Assembly for Wales
This is a list of youngest members of the National Assembly for Wales created in 1999.| Elected | Name | Constituency/region | Party | DOB | Age when elected | |
| 1999 | Jonathan Morgan | South Wales Central | 19 March 1974 | 25 | - | - |
| 2003 | Laura Ann Jones | South Wales East | 21 February 1979 | 24 | - | - |
| 2007 | Bethan Jenkins | South Wales West | 9 December 1981 | 25 | - | - |
| 2016 | Steffan Lewis | South Wales East | 30 May 1984 | 31 | - | - |
| 2018 | Jack Sargeant | Alyn and Deeside | 1994 | 24/25 | - | - |
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.The current Baby of the House is the Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson. The current Baby of the Senate is Senator Jordon Steele-John.
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. 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
| Entered | Name | Born | Party | Note |
| 1970 | 1946 | Centre Party | ||
| 1972 | 1950 | Social Democratic Party of Finland | ||
| 1979 | 1956 | Social Democratic Party of Finland | dead in 2011 | |
| 1983 | 1959 | National Coalition Party | ||
| 1991 | 1967 | National Coalition Party | ||
| 1994 | 1967 | National Coalition Party | ||
| 1995 | 1972 | Social Democratic Party of Finland | ||
| 1999 | 1975 | Centre Party | ||
| 2003 | 1976 | Social Democratic Party of Finland | ||
| 2004 | 1977 | Green League | ||
| 2007 | 1982 | Centre Party | ||
| 2011 | 1986 | Finns Party | ||
| 2015 | 1991 | Social Democratic Party of Finland | ||
| 2019 | 1994 | Green League |
France
The youngest member of the French national assembly ever is Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, elected in 2012 aged 22.List of youngest members of the French Parliament
This is a list of youngest members of the French parliament.| Elected | Name | Department | Age |
| 1789 | Mathieu de Montmorency-Laval | Yvelines | 22 |
| 1791 | Edme-Louis Bonnerot | Yonne | 24 |
| 1815 | Claude-René Bacot de Romand | Indre-et-Loire | 22 |
| 2012 | Marion Maréchal-Le Pen | Vaucluse | 22 |
| 2017 | Ludovic Pajot | Pas-de-Calais | 23 |
Hong Kong
In Hong Kong the term is rarely used. The current baby of the Legislative Council is Ho Kai-ming whose record was interrupted by Au Nok-hin until Au was disqualified in December 2019, as the 2018 by-election was ruled unlawful. Au was elected in the 2018 Hong Kong Island by-election after three younger members of the Legislative Council, the youngest-ever elected member Nathan Law, as well as Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Leung were all disqualified over the oath-taking controversy., the youngest member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, was elected at the age of 23.
| Elected | Name | Constituency | Party | Age | |
| 1991 | James To | Kowloon Southwest GC | 28 | ||
| 1998 | Bernard Chan | Insurance FC | 33 | - | - |
| 2008 | New Territories East GC | 32 | - | - | |
| 2012 | Steven Ho | 32 | - | - | |
| 2016 | Nathan Law | Hong Kong Island GC | 23 | - | - |
| 2016 | Ho Kai-ming | Labour FC | 31 | - | - |
| 2018 | Au Nok-hin | Hong Kong Island GC | 30 | - | - |
| 2016 | Ho Kai-ming | Labour FC | 34 | - | - |
| 2016 | Cheng Chung-tai | New Territories West GC | 36 | - | - |
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.Iran
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, 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
Baby of Seanad Éireann
The youngest senator in Seanad Éireann is Fintan Warfield who was elected as a senator at the age of 24.The youngest ever senator was Kathryn Reilly, who was 22 when elected in 2011.
Israel
In Israel the term is rarely used. The youngest member of current Knesset is Sondos Saleh of Ta'al, elected in 2020 aged 33. The youngest member of the Knesset ever is Moshe Nissim, elected in 1959 aged 24.Italy
The youngest member of the Chamber of Deputies ever is Enzo Lattuca, elected in 2013 aged 25.The current youngest member of the Chamber of Deputies Is Angela Raffa, elected in 2018 aged 25.
Malawi
The youngest MP in Malawi was Angela Zachepa who was voted in as MP at age 21.Malaysia
In Malaysia 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 former Prime Minister Najib Razak who was elected at 22 years and 6 months in age in 1976. The youngest-ever elected member of the Dewan Rakyat is Prabakaran Parameswaran, who was elected at the age of 22 years and 3 months in 2018. Prabakaran is the youngest MP in Malaysian history and currently serving as well.In Malaysia, any citizen 21 years of age or older can become a candidate and be elected to the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Undangan Negeri. Minimum age for the Senator is 30 by constitution.
New Zealand
The term "Baby of the House" is rarely used in New Zealand. The current Baby of the House is Chlöe Swarbrick of the Green Party, who was elected on 24 September 2017 aged 23. Swarbrick succeeded Todd Barclay of the National Party, who had been elected at the 2014 general election at age 24.| Name | Electorate | Party | Date of birth | Became baby | Age | |
| Christchurch Country | 16.01.1833 | 01.10.1853 | - | - | ||
| Akaroa | 13.02.1861 | 22 | - | - | ||
| Oamaru | 08.01.1843 | 06.04.1866 | - | - | ||
| Suburbs of Nelson | 23.01.1871 | 22 | - | - | ||
| Ashley | 09.12.1881 | 27 | - | - | ||
| Gladstone | 20.03.1859 | 26.09.1887 | - | - | ||
| Waitemata | 05.12.1890 | 23 | - | - | ||
| Inangahua | 06.02.1869 | 20.12.1893 | - | - | ||
| Wellington Suburbs | 20.06.1870 | 04.12.1896 | - | - | ||
| City of Dunedin | 31.08.1877 | 25.11.1902 | - | - | ||
| Wellington Central | 22.12.1877 | 06.12.1905 | - | - | ||
| Westland | 02.07.1884 | 13.07.1906 | - | - | ||
| Auckland East | 31.10.1891 | 07.12.1922 | - | - | ||
| Motueka | 21.11.1903 | 14.11.1928 | - | - | ||
| Motueka | 11.02.1904 | 01.12.1932 | - | - | ||
| Lyttelton | 05.09.1905 | 24.07.1935 | - | - | ||
| Rangitikei | 18.11.1907 | 27.11.1935 | - | - | ||
| Wanganui | 26.09.1905 | 15.10.1938 | - | - | ||
| Northern Maori | 26.01.1920 | 24.09.1943 | - | - | ||
| Mt Albert | 27.12.1920 | 24.09.1947 | - | - | ||
| Napier | 13.11.1954 | 27 | - | - | ||
| Timaru | 18.09.1928 | 21.07.1962 | - | - | ||
| Dunedin Central | 19.05.1935 | 30.11.1963 | - | - | ||
| New Lynn | 02.12.1938 | 26.11.1966 | - | - | ||
| Otago Central | 14.12.1939 | 29.11.1969 | - | - | ||
| Eden | 28.01.1949 | 25.11.1972 | - | - | ||
| Raglan | 07.10.1952 | 29.11.1975 | - | - | ||
| Waikato | 07.02.1958 | 28.11.1981 | - | - | ||
| Tasman | 24.12.1964 | 27.10.1990 | - | - | ||
| List | 21.08.1970 | 12.10.1996 | - | - | ||
| Ōtaki | 03.04.1978 | 27.07.2002 | - | - | ||
| List | 26.07.1980 | 08.11.2008 | - | - | ||
| List | 31.10.1981 | 11.02.2010 | - | - | ||
| Botany | 10.12.1985 | 05.03.2011 | - | - | ||
| 08.06.1990 | 20.09.2014 | - | - | |||
| List | 26.06.1994 | 23.09.2017 | - | - |
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. 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.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; the Jones Law, which created the Senate, had prescribed the minimum age of 30.
The current Benjamin of the House is Representative Braeden John Biron of the 4th District of Iloilo. Meanwhile, Senator Manny Pacquiao has been the youngest Senator since 2016.
List of youngest members of the Philippine House of Representatives
List of youngest members of the Philippine Senate
South Africa
The current titleholder is Hlomela Bucwa.Sweden
The current Baby of the House is Ebba Hermansson. 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.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.
Uganda
At 19 years old, Proscovia Alengot Oromait was the world's youngest MP and youngest ever MP in Africa when elected in 2011. Oromait is a member of the National Resistance Movement in Uganda and was a representative of Usuk County until 2016United 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 or other state office before seeking to serve in Washington.
In the 116th Congress, which began on 3 January 2019, the youngest member of the United States House of Representatives is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was born on, and was first elected in 2018 a few weeks after her 29th birthday. She is also the youngest woman elected to the House in U.S. history.
Currently the youngest US Senator is Josh Hawley, born on, and first elected in 2018.