Llew Smith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Parliament forBlaenau Gwent | |
| In office 9 April 1992 – 11 April 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Foot |
| Succeeded by | Peter Law |
| Member of the European Parliament forSouth Wales East | |
| In office 17 June 1984 – 9 June 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Glenys Kinnock |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Llewellyn Thomas Smith[1] (1944-04-16)16 April 1944[2] |
| Died | 26 May 2021(2021-05-26) (aged 77) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Pam Smith (died 2008) |
| Children | Two sons, one daughter |
| Residence(s) | Newbridge, Caerphilly County Borough, Wales[4] |
Llewellyn Thomas Smith (16 April 1944 – 26 May 2021) was a BritishLabour Party politician.
According to Smith, his father was born in England and moved to Wales as a child. He began working at the localcolliery (Newbridge) at the age of thirteen, and his brother died in a tragic accident while also working there. Smith's father eventually died of cancer andpneumoconiosis, a group of diseases typically associated with mineworkers.[5]
Smith was educated atColeg Harlech as an adult, referring to himself as a "second chance" student.[6] Before becoming a politician, he worked as a labourer and computer operator.[7]
Smith wasMember of the European Parliament (MEP) forSouth Wales East from 1984 to 1994, being re-elected in the1989 European election.[8] While in this position, he worked with members likeAlex Falconer,Stan Newens, andAlf Lomas to improve the democratic accountability of the parliament.[9]
At the1992 general election he was elected asMember of Parliament (MP) forBlaenau Gwent, succeeding former Labour leaderMichael Foot. He was a member of theSocialist Campaign Group, and defied various government whips.[2] He opposed theprivate finance initiative, the creation of nuclear weapons,[7] andTony Blair's stance on theIraq War.[10]
Smith became known for his opposition todevolution and the formation of theNational Assembly for Wales; in May 1997, Welsh SecretaryRon Davies threatened disciplinary action against Welsh Labour MPs who planned to campaign against a Welsh Assembly in thedevolution referendum.[11] Smith was a specific focus of this move, having various party meetings about his views and being threatened by Davies and his policy adviser with expulsion if he chose to act on them.[12] A public row ensued in which Davies was pushed to say that those who reasonably opposed devolution, including Smith, would not be removed from the party. After this, Smith stepped back from his complaint to the standards and privileges committee, but did not withdraw it.[13] Following the creation of the Assembly, he continued to vote against giving it further powers and funding,[7] and led a campaign to change its voting from a proportional list system.[14]
In the2001 general election, Smith won Blaenau Gwent with 61% of the vote, beating thePlaid Cymru candidate by 19,313 votes.[15] In 2002, he was one of several MPs to express support for the Labour Against the Euro group, which opposed the UK's possible membership of the single currency.[16]
In December 2002, Smith made an early announcement that he would be standing down as an MP, so a suitable candidate could be found for the next general election.[7] Later, theBlairiteMaggie Jones was chosen to succeed him in an all-woman shortlist. Smith opposed this move as it took the choice of representation out of the hands of constituents,[17] and instead suggested that Assembly MemberPeter Law would win in the2005 general election should he go against Jones, calling him a "popular and effective representative".[15] This prediction came true when Law stood as an Independent, becoming the MP for Blaenau Gwent for the year up until his death.[18] Twenty party members were expelled for openly supporting Law, but Smith remained within the party due to not openly voicing any support.[19][17]
Following Law's death from a brain tumour in 2006, the seat was won byDai Davies,[20] who had previously been Smith's agent.[19]
In 2010, an exhibition was put on by Smith and his late wife atManchester'sPeople's History Museum, entitledPolitics, Protest and the Christmas Card. It told the history of left-wing politics through the medium of the Christmas card.[21] Following this, in 2012 he publishedGlad Tidings of Struggle and Strife with his wife as co-author, showing a selection of the cards.[22]
Smith and his wife Pam (who died in 2008) had two sons, Matthew and Benjamin, and a daughter, Eleanor.[23]
He died from cancer on 26 May 2021 at the age of 77.[24]
| European Parliament | ||
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| New constituency | Member of European Parliament forSouth Wales East 1984–1994 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forBlaenau Gwent 1992–2005 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
