Smith, John, British politician

Smith, John, 1938–94, British politician. A barrister, he was first elected to Parliament in 1970 as a Labour party member from Scotland. He served as secretary for trade in 1970 and subsequently as Labour spokesperson on a number of economic and industrial issues, developing a reputation as a moderate. Smith was elected leader of the Labour party when Neil Kinnock resigned following the Conservative victory in the 1992 general elections; he served as party leader until his death in 1994.

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