Angela Smith, Baroness Smith of Basildon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Baroness Smith of Basildon PC
Official portrait, 2024
Leader of the House of Lords Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 July 2024
Prime Minister	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	The Lord True
Leader of the Opposition in the Lords Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
In office 27 May 2015 – 5 July 2024
Party Leader	Harriet Harman (acting) Jeremy Corbyn Keir Starmer
Preceded by	The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Succeeded by	The Lord True
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
In office 28 June 2007 – 8 June 2009
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown
Preceded by	Keith Hill
Succeeded by	Anne Snelgrove
Junior ministerial offices Minister of State 2009–2010 Third Sector Under-Secretary of State 2006–2007 Fire Services 2002–2006 Northern Ireland Economy
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Life Peerage
Assumed office 8 July 2010
Member of Parliament for Basildon
In office 1 May 1997 – 12 April 2010
Preceded by	David Amess
Succeeded by	Stephen Metcalfe
Personal details
Born	Angela Evans (1959-01-07) 7 January 1959 (age 66) London, England
Political party	Labour Co-op
Spouse	Nigel Smith
Alma mater	Leicester Polytechnic (BA)

Angela Evans Smith, Baroness Smith of Basildon, born on 7 January 1959, is a British politician. She is a member of the Labour and Co-operative Parties. Since 2024, she has been the Leader of the House of Lords and the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. Before this, she was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Basildon from 1997 to 2010.

Angela Smith worked in government as an Assistant Whip from 2001 to 2002. She then became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State from 2002 to 2007. In 2007, she became a special advisor to the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. She served in this role until 2009, when she became the Minister of State for the Third Sector.

She lost her seat in the 2010 general election. Soon after, she was appointed to the House of Lords. There, she became a senior opposition whip in 2012. In 2015, she became the Labour Party's leader in the House of Lords.

Early Life and Career

Angela Smith was born in London, England, on 7 January 1959. She went to school in Basildon. Later, she studied Public Administration at Leicester Polytechnic. She earned a university degree there. In 1978, she married Nigel Smith.

From 1982 to 1983, she trained as an accountant. Then, she worked for the League Against Cruel Sports from 1983 to 1995. She became the head of their public relations. From 1995 to 1997, she worked as a political researcher.

Before becoming an MP, Angela Smith was a member of Essex County Council from 1989. She also served on the Fire Authority for Essex.

Parliamentary Journey

Serving in the House of Commons

Angela Smith first ran for election in 1987. She was chosen to represent Labour in Basildon in 1995. She won the election in 1997. She replaced the previous MP, David Amess. She was re-elected easily in 2001 and 2005.

In 1997, Angela Smith helped create a new law. This law aimed to reduce waste. It successfully became the Waste Minimisation Act 1998.

Working in Government

In 2001, Angela Smith became a Government Whip. This role helps manage the government's business in Parliament. In 2002, she was promoted to a junior minister role for Northern Ireland. In 2006, she moved to a role focusing on Fire Services.

In 2007, she became a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Prime Minister Gordon Brown. This meant she could attend important government meetings. In 2009, she became a Minister of State for the Third Sector. This role involved working with charities and volunteer groups.

In the 2010 general election, her old Basildon seat was changed. She ran for the new South Basildon and East Thurrock area. She lost to the Conservative candidate, Stephen Metcalfe. Changes to the voting areas played a part in her defeat.

Angela Smith had to repay some money in 2009. This was for expenses claimed for her second home. A review found she had claimed too much. She repaid the full amount of £1,429.

Joining the House of Lords

Smith speaking in the House of Lords in 2021

After the 2010 election, Angela Smith was made a Life Peer. This meant she became a member of the House of Lords for life. She was given the title Baroness Smith of Basildon on 7 July 2010. She officially joined the House of Lords the next day.

In the House of Lords, she spoke for Labour on different topics. These included Energy and Climate Change (2010-2013) and the Home Office (2012-2015). She also served as a senior opposition whip from 2012 to 2015. On 27 May 2015, she became the Labour Party's leader in the House of Lords. This meant she joined the Labour Party's "shadow cabinet."

In 2016, she briefly stopped attending shadow cabinet meetings. This was due to disagreements with the Labour leader at the time, Jeremy Corbyn. However, she returned to the meetings a few months later.

Her Role in the Shadow Cabinet

In April 2020, Keir Starmer became the new leader of the Labour Party. Angela Smith continued her role as the Shadow Leader of the House of Lords.

She has spoken about changing the House of Lords. She believes the current system is not fair. She supports replacing it with a chamber where members are elected by the public. However, she understands that such a big change takes time. She thinks a Labour government would first focus on urgent issues. These include helping the economy and dealing with the cost of living.

Leader of the House of Lords (2024–present)

Smith holding the Cap of Maintenance at the 2024 King's Speech.

The Labour Party won a large victory in the 2024 general election. After this, Baroness Smith was given two important roles. On 5 July, Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed her as Leader of the House of Lords. She also became the Lord Privy Seal.

Political Views

Angela Smith cares deeply about animal welfare. She supports Freedom for Animals. This charity works to stop the use of animals in circuses and zoos. It also campaigns against the exotic pet trade.

See also

In Spanish: Angela Smith para niños