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| Affiliation | Labour |
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| Name | Chris Smith |
| Address |
, England , United Kingdom |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
July 24, 1951 |
| Died |
Still Living
(73 years) |
| Contributor | Some say... |
| Last Modifed | Juan Croniqueur
Nov 11, 2023 07:24pm |
| Tags |
Fabian Society - Christian - Gay -
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| Info | Education
George Watson's College, Edinburgh
Pembroke College, Cambridge (BA, PhD) (President, Cambridge Union 1972)
Harvard University (Kennedy Scholar).
Non-political career
Worked for: The Housing Corporation 1976-77
Shaftesbury Society Housing Association 1977-80
Society for Co-operative Dwellings 1980-83.
Electoral history
Contested Epsom and Ewell 1979 general election. Member for Islington South and Finsbury since June 1983.
Political career
Shadow Treasury Minister 1987-92
Shadow Secretary of State for: Environmental Protection 1992-94
National Heritage 1994-95
Social Security 1995-96
Health 1996-97
Sponsored Environment and Safety Information Act 1988 (Private Member's Bill)
Secretary of State: for National Heritage May-July 1997
for Culture, Media and Sport July 1997-present.
Culture Secretary Chris Smith is regarded as one of the safest hands in the cabinet and one of the "nicest" members of the government.
Such a profile would please many MPs, but in the case of Mr Smith it is sometimes used to suggest he is lacking certain political qualities.
His critics suggest that he is indecisive and lacks the "killer instinct" required by a top-class minister.
His supporters argue that he has done a tremendous job in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport given the limited funding he has received from the Treasury.
Certainly, Mr Smith has survived in his post much longer than many of his predecessors and unlike some of the Conservative ministers before him he actually appears to like the job.
Controversies
With a PhD in English, Mr Smith has an interest in literature in particular and arts in general.
He is widely liked and respected by MPs on both sides of the House of Commons and is regarded as hardworking and intelligent.
However, his four years as culture secretary have not been as happy as perhaps he may have wished.
With a small budget during Labour's first two years in office, Mr Smith's hands were relatively tied and his plans for free entry to museums and other ambitious projects were put on the backburner.
He has had to deal with a series of controversies many of which may have not been of his making but have raised speculation over his future in the cabinet.
The Royal Opera House, the Millennium Dome, the lottery licence and Wembley stadium are just a few of the "difficult" issues he has faced in recent months.
He has also had clashes with the BBC and ITV and the influential Common's culture committee.
Cabinet speculation
Mr Smith's future political career has been the subject of media speculation in recent months with some pundits predicting that he will not be included in the cabinet if Labour is re-elected.
However, such predictions have been made in the past and have proved ill-founded.
But there has been media speculation that Tony Blair is planning to scrap the Culture department if Labour wins a second term in government and such a move would certainly put Mr Smith's future in the cabinet in doubt.
Nevertheless, Mr Smith has enjoyed a high profile within the Labour Party throughout the 1990s.
He was given the environmental protection portfolio under John Smith's leadership and went on to serve as Labour's spokesman on national heritage, social security and health under Mr Blair.
He was also the country's first openly homosexual MP after "coming out" in November 1984.
Mr Smith has a strong record in his Islington South and Finsbury constituency in London and has an enviable majority in what was once a marginal seat.
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