David Smith | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| UK's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief | |
| Assumed office 11 December 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Fiona Bruce (as Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief)[1] |
| Member of Parliament forNorth Northumberland | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Majority | 5,067 (10.4%) |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | British |
| Party | Labour |
| Other political affiliations | Blue Labour |
| Alma mater | Glasgow University (MA) University College Dublin (MPhil) |
David William Smith[2] is a British politician who has served asMember of Parliament (MP) forNorth Northumberland since 2024. A member of theLabour Party, he has been the UK's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) since December 2024. He identifies as belonging to the more socially conservativeBlue Labour faction of the Parliamentary Party.[3]
In July 2024, Smith voted against an amendment to abolish thetwo-child benefit cap.[4]
In September, he voted against an amendment condemning the government's proposed changes to the eligibility criteria forWinter Fuel Payments.[5]
Smith confirmed in November that he would vote againstKim Leadbeater MP'sprivate member's bill tolegaliseassisted dying. He argued that "We were given a 40-page bill three weeks ago, and we've got five hours next Friday to debate it. That's simply not enough time." Further, he argued that "The second reason is principle. That's about the fear ofcoercion. I've spoken to doctors who've said it's almost impossible to see coercion happening, even from loved ones. The worst thing for me is the pressure people might put on themselves, feeling they're a burden. For those reasons, I'll be voting against it."[6]
On 11 December 2024, he was announced as the UK's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), replacing formerConservative MPFiona Bruce, who held the position as Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief between December 2020 and July 2024.[7][8]
In February 2025, Smith called on the Labour government to implement "meaningful tweaks" to their proposed changes toinheritance tax in order to protect Britishfamily farms from being financially penalised under the proposed changes.[9] He also signed and supported a petition calling on British supermarkets to adopt a "fairer deal" for British farmers. He said that "Supermarkets are claiming to support UK farmers, but their actions suggest otherwise. Farmers and growers play a vital role in securing the UK’s food sustainability, but they aren’t receiving a fair deal from the supermarkets, whose punitive and misleading practices have been going on for years without challenge."[10]
David Smith grew up in the west ofScotland but has lived inSunderland since 2007.[11] He studied for degrees at bothGlasgow University andUniversity College Dublin.[12]
Smith is a practising and professingChristian and previously worked at theBible Society andTearfund.[7][13] Prior to the 2024 General Election, he led a housing charity inGateshead ran by theOasis Charitable Trust.[7]
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