Eleanor Smith (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eleanor Smith
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Official portrait, 2017
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| Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South West |
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| In office 8 June 2017 – 6 November 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Rob Marris |
| Succeeded by | Stuart Anderson |
| President of Unison | |
| In office 24 June 2011 – 22 June 2012 |
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| General Secretary | Dave Prentis |
| Vice President | Chris Tansley Maureen Le Marinel |
| Preceded by | Angela Lynes |
| Succeeded by | Chris Tansley |
| Vice President of Unison | |
| In office 8 July 2009 – 24 June 2011 Serving with Angela Lynes and Chris Tansley
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| General Secretary | Dave Prentis |
| President | Gerry Gallagher Angela Lynes |
| Preceded by | Gerry Gallagher |
| Succeeded by | Maureen Le Marinel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 July 1957 Birmingham, England |
| Political party | Labour |
Eleanor Patricia Smith (born 5 July 1957) is a British politician from the Labour Party. She is also a trade unionist, which means she works to protect the rights of workers.
Eleanor Smith served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Wolverhampton South West. She held this role from 2017 to 2019. Before becoming an MP, she was the President of the trade union Unison from 2011 to 2012. She also served as its Vice President from 2009 to 2011.
Starting Her Career
Eleanor Smith began training to be a nurse in 1977. She worked as a theatre nurse from 1984 until 2017. This was at the Birmingham Women's NHS Foundation Trust, a hospital in Birmingham.
She made history by becoming the first black woman to be elected President of the trade union Unison. This happened in 2011, after she served as Vice President from 2009. A trade union is an organization that helps workers get fair pay and good working conditions. Later, she became the regional chair for the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Midlands. The TUC is a group that represents many different trade unions in the UK.
Her Time in Parliament
Eleanor Smith was elected as the MP for Wolverhampton South West in the 2017 general election. She took over from another Labour MP, Rob Marris, and won with more votes than before. She felt that her victory was largely due to support from activists from Unison and Momentum. She believed her local party didn't fully support her.
She was the first person of British African-Caribbean background to represent a constituency in the West Midlands area in the House of Commons. The House of Commons is where elected MPs meet to make laws for the UK. This seat had been held by famous politicians like Enoch Powell and also by Paul Uppal, who is British Indian.
While in Parliament, Eleanor Smith was a member of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee. This committee looks at how the government works. She also co-chaired two All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs). APPGs are groups of MPs and Lords who are interested in specific topics. One of her groups focused on obesity, and the other on adult social care.
Smith asked an independent group to study blood, organ, and stem cell donation among BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) communities. The study suggested ways the government could encourage more donations from these groups. This led to a meeting between Smith and the then-Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health, Jackie Doyle-Price.
In the 2019 election, Eleanor Smith lost her seat. The Conservative Party candidate, Stuart Anderson, won the election in her constituency.
How She Voted
Eleanor Smith always voted with her party's instructions in Parliament. This means she never voted against her own party. Even though her local area voted to leave the European Union, she generally voted for closer ties with the EU. She also consistently voted against cutting money from local councils by the central government.
After Parliament
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Eleanor Smith took part in a discussion with church leaders in Birmingham. This was because vaccine uptake was low in some communities. As a Christian, she felt that church leaders should strongly encourage people to get vaccinated. She said, "When people are being misinformed... churches need to step up." She also praised leaders from other faiths, like imams, for their efforts.
Smith noted that black people have sometimes faced unfair treatment in healthcare. This can lead to a lack of trust. She stressed the need for official efforts to correct false information and reassure people. She also said that "role models within the community" are important to build trust.
Personal Life
Eleanor Smith's parents moved to Great Britain from Barbados in 1954. They were part of the Windrush generation, a group of people who came to the UK from Caribbean countries after World War II. Eleanor Smith is a Christian.
