Jeff Smith (British politician)

Jeff Smith (born 26 January 1963) is a British Labour Party politician from Manchester. He was elected at the 2015 general election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Manchester Withington.[1] He had previously represented the Old Moat ward on Manchester City Council since 1997.

Jeff Smith

MP
Member of Parliament
for Manchester Withington
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byJohn Leech
Majority27,905 (52.7%)
Personal details
Born (1963-01-26) 26 January 1963
Manchester, United Kingdom
Political partyLabour
Alma materUniversity of Manchester
Websitejeffsmith.org.uk

Early life and career

Smith was a pupil at the private Manchester Grammar School,[2] and graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in Politics and Economics in 1984.[3] Smith was a member of the University of Manchester Students' Union Executive 1984–85 as Entertainments Officer. He is a former Executive Member for Finance on Manchester City Council[4] and a former governor of Parrs Wood High School.[5]

He was chosen in June 2013 as the Labour candidate for Manchester Withington[6] ahead of Angela Rayner and fellow Manchester Councillor Andrew Simcock.[7]

Parliamentary career

At the general election in May 2015, Smith was elected MP for Manchester Withington on behalf of Labour, defeating the incumbent Liberal Democrat John Leech, with a majority of 14,873. Smith was re-elected in the 2017 snap general election, securing 71.7% of the vote and more than doubling his majority over next-placed John Leech to 29,875 (55.8%).

Smith is a senior Opposition whip.[8]

In July 2015, Smith voted to prevent the government's Welfare Bill going through on the second reading, and voted against it at the third reading.[9]

He supported Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour Party (UK) leadership election.[10]

Smith campaigned to remain in the European Union.[11] In January 2017, he voted against triggering Article 50.[12] On 14 March 2019, Smith voted to reject Theresa May's Brexit deal and a no-deal Brexit.[13]

He is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health[14] and sits on the advisory board of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute.[15]

Smith co-founded the Labour Campaign for Drug Policy Reform with Thangam Debbonaire[16] and is Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy Reform.[17] On April 20th 2020, Smith appeared in a virtual online 4/20 event hosted by Voltfacehub, where he spoke in favour of the decriminalisation and regulation of the drug Cannabis.[18]

He is Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group.[19]

Personal life

Smith's Jewish great-grandmother, Rosa Simonson, came to Manchester in the 1880s to escape anti-Semitic persecution in what is now Poland.[20]

Before being elected, Smith was an event manager and DJ,[21] and has performed regularly at V Festival and club nights Poptastic in Manchester and Star in Leeds.[22]

References
  1. "Manchester Withington Parliamentary constituency: Election 2015". BBC News. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  2. Kelly, Richard (29 May 2015). "Pupil Plebiscites and Leftist Leanings: Political Participation and Manchester Grammar School, 1906–2015". Political Studies Association.
  3. "SMITH, Jeffrey". Who's Who. ukwhoswho.com. 2017 (online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. (subscription or UK public library membership required) (subscription may be required or content may be available in libraries)
  4. "The Members of the Executive: The Executive Members in 2013 / 14". manchester.gov.uk. Manchester City Council. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014.
  5. "The Governing Body". Manchester, UK: Parrs Wood High School. Archived from the original on 25 November 2014.
  6. Wheatstone, Richard (10 June 2013). "Gloves are off as candidates set to do battle for Withington seat". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  7. Crick, Michael (6 November 2013). "Unite choosing Labour's candidates: is Cameron correct?". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  8. "Labour makes new Whips Office appointments". LabourList. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  9. jeffsmithmp (23 July 2015). "Why we voted against the Welfare Bill – and why we abstained". Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  10. Smith, Mikey; Bloom, Dan (20 July 2016). "Which MPs are nominating Owen Smith in the Labour leadership contest?". Mirror. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  11. "EU vote: Where the cabinet and other MPs stand". BBC News. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  12. Williams, Jennifer (26 January 2017). "Labour MP Jeff Smith risks being sacked as whip after refusing to back Brexit vote". men. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  13. correspondent, Peter Walker Political (14 March 2019). "What are the amendments to the article 50 extension vote and how did MPs vote?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  14. "APPG on mental health". APPG on mental health. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  15. "Advisory board". Money and Mental Health Policy Institute. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  16. "Founders". Labour Campaign for Drug Policy Reform. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  17. "All Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform". All Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  18. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_AZ3AwHED6/?igshid=1ilyceae6c880
  19. "Crispin Blunt and Joan Bakewell elected as Chair and Co-Chair of humanists in Parliament". Humanists UK. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  20. "Holocaust Memorial Day - Hansard". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  21. "About". 8 January 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  22. Staff writer (19 April 2010). "Corridors of Power to Wheels of Steel". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
John Leech		 Member of Parliament
for Manchester Withington
2015–present		 Incumbent
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