We lost our daughter... She was a light that was so bright ...I’ll never get over it
go to a hotel and say I’ve got a room booked and they’re expecting a woman.”
The mistakes continued when Sir Lindsay was elected, with his inclusion on a banner made by women in politics campaign group Emily’s List and an invite to join the Labour women’s group.
“I was asked to contribute to a book to support the fight against breast cancer but they didn’t use the photo I sent.”
As a lad he was sent to the Bolton private secondary school his mum had attended and “absolutely hated it”.
“I wanted to be with my friends,” he says If I had my time over, never again.”
Through it all the Labour party has been a lifelong passion so leaving – Speakers are have to demonstrate independence – was “a toughie”, he admits.
“I went to my first Labour conference in 1957 as a baby and soon after, in Scarborough, I was throwing bacon from the high chair at Hugh Gaitskell. I was an early rebel.
“I still don’t accept I’ve resigned. The membership card’s in my pocket. I haven’t chopped it up.”
This election he is assured of a landslide, with only the Greens breaking the convention that parties don’t stand against the Speaker.
“I’m ready for it,” he says. “Campaigning is what I love.”
It’ll be the calm before the storm, particularly if he is destined to preside over another hung Parliament.
But he plans to bring his menagerie of pets named after politicians to Westminster to help him keep him sane. Rottweiler Gordon (Brown) could clear noisy drinkers from the terrace below his bedroom, cats Dennis (Skinner) and Patrick (Cormack) catch mice, parrot Boris (Johnson) can confuse MPs with an “order, order” squawk and tortoise Maggie (Thatcher) remind voters that some leading figures aren’t for turning.
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