John Smith (Labour Party leader)

John Smith QC (13 September 1938 – 12 May 1994) was a British politician who was the leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his death from a heart attack.

The Right Honourable John Smith QC
Leader of the Opposition
In office 18 July 1992 – 12 May 1994
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Neil Kinnock
Succeeded by	Margaret Beckett
Leader of the Labour Party
In office 18 July 1992 – 12 May 1994
Deputy	Margaret Beckett
Preceded by	Neil Kinnock
Succeeded by	Tony Blair
Shadow portfolios 1987–1992 Chancellor of the Exchequer 1984–1987 Trade and Industry 1983–1984 Employment 1982–1983 Energy 1979–1982 Trade
Secretary of State for Trade
In office 11 November 1978 – 4 May 1979
Prime Minister	James Callaghan
Preceded by	Edmund Dell
Succeeded by	John Nott
Minister of State for the Privy Council
In office 8 April 1976 – 11 November 1978
Prime Minister	James Callaghan
Preceded by	The Lord Crowther-Hunt
Succeeded by	The Baroness Birk
Minister of State for Energy
In office 4 December 1975 – 8 April 1976
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	The Lord Balogh
Succeeded by	Dickson Mabon
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy
In office 18 October 1974 – 4 December 1975
Prime Minister	Harold Wilson
Preceded by	Gavin Strang
Succeeded by	The Lord Lovell-Davis
Member of Parliament for Monklands East
In office 18 June 1970 – 12 May 1994
Preceded by	Margaret Herbison
Succeeded by	Helen Liddell
Personal details
Born	(1938-09-13)13 September 1938 Dalmally, Argyll, Scotland
Died	12 May 1994(1994-05-12) (aged 55) London, England
Resting place	Reilig Odhráin, Iona, Scotland
Political party	Labour
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Bennett ​ (m. 1967)​
Children	3, including Sarah
Education	Dunoon Grammar School
Alma mater	University of Glasgow

John Smith was born in the Scottish town of Dalmally in Argyll and Bute. He became a Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) at the 1970 General Election for the constituency of North Lanarkshire (Monklands East from 1983). In 1978, he was given a cabinet post however lost this after Labour's defeat at the 1979 General Election. He continued in the shadow cabinet until 1992, when Labour leader Neil Kinnock resigned and Smith was elected leader. During Smith's time as leader, opinion polls showed that Labour were becoming more likely to win an election than the Conservatives.

On 12 May 1994 in London, Smith died of a heart attack and was buried on the Scottish isle of Iona. Tony Blair replaced Smith as Labour leader on 21 July 1994.