John Smith (Labour Party leader)

**John Smith**  (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.

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.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **embed**: yes
- **subterm**: 1987–1992
- **suboffice**: Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Chancellor of the Exchequer
- **subterm1**: 1984–1987
- **suboffice1**: Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Trade and Industry
- **subterm2**: 1983–1984
- **suboffice2**: Shadow Secretary of State for Employment, Employment
- **subterm3**: 1982–1983
- **suboffice3**: Shadow Secretary of State for Energy, Energy
- **subterm4**: 1979–1982
- **suboffice4**: Shadow Secretary of State for Trade, Trade


## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: The Right Honourable
- **name**: John Smith
- **image**: John Smith in 1989.jpg
- **caption**: Smith in 1989
- **office**: Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom), Leader of the Opposition
- **monarch**: Elizabeth II
- **primeminister**: John Major
- **term start**: 18 July 1992
- **term end**: 12 May 1994
- **predecessor**: Neil Kinnock
- **successor**: Margaret Beckett
- **office1**: Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party
- **term start1**: 18 July 1992
- **term end1**: 12 May 1994
- **deputy1**: Margaret Beckett
- **predecessor1**: Neil Kinnock
- **successor1**: Tony Blair
- **office2**: Secretary of State for Trade
- **primeminister2**: James Callaghan
- **term start2**: 11 November 1978
- **term end2**: 4 May 1979
- **predecessor2**: Edmund Dell
- **successor2**: John Nott
- **office3**: Privy Council Office (United Kingdom), Minister of State for the Privy Council
- **primeminister3**: James Callaghan
- **term start3**: 8 April 1976
- **term end3**: 11 November 1978
- **predecessor3**: Norman Crowther Hunt, Baron Crowther-Hunt, The Lord Crowther-Hunt
- **successor3**: Alma Birk, Baroness Birk, The Baroness Birk
- **office4**: Department of Energy (United Kingdom), Minister of State for Energy
- **primeminister4**: Harold Wilson
- **term start4**: 4 December 1975
- **term end4**: 8 April 1976
- **predecessor4**: Thomas Balogh, Baron Balogh, The Lord Balogh
- **successor4**: Dickson Mabon
- **office5**: Department of Energy (United Kingdom),  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy
- **primeminister5**: Harold Wilson
- **term start5**: 18 October 1974
- **term end5**: 4 December 1975
- **predecessor5**: Gavin Strang
- **successor5**: Peter Lovell-Davis, Baron Lovell-Davis, The Lord Lovell-Davis
- **parliament6**: UK
- **constituency mp6**: Monklands East
- **prior term6**: North Lanarkshire (UK Parliament constituency), North Lanarkshire (1970–1983)
- **term start6**: 18 June 1970
- **term end6**: 12 May 1994
- **predecessor6**: Margaret Herbison
- **successor6**: Helen Liddell
- **birth place**: Dalmally, Argyll, Scotland
- **death place**: London, England
- **resting place**: Reilig Odhráin, Iona, Scotland
- **party**: Labour Party (UK), Labour
- **children**: 3, including Sarah Smith (news reporter), Sarah
- **education**: Dunoon Grammar School
- **alma mater**: University of Glasgow