Owen Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Owen Smith
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Official portrait, 2017
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| Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland | |
| In office 14 June 2017 – 23 March 2018 |
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| Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Preceded by | David Anderson |
| Succeeded by | Tony Lloyd |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | |
| In office 14 September 2015 – 27 June 2016 |
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| Leader | Jeremy Corbyn |
| Preceded by | Stephen Timms (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Debbie Abrahams |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Wales | |
| In office 15 May 2012 – 14 September 2015 |
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| Leader | Ed Miliband Harriet Harman |
| Preceded by | Peter Hain |
| Succeeded by | Nia Griffith |
| Shadow Minister for Wales | |
| In office 25 September 2010 – 15 May 2012 |
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| Leader | Ed Miliband |
| Preceded by | Wayne David |
| Succeeded by | Nia Griffith |
| Member of Parliament for Pontypridd |
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| In office 6 May 2010 – 6 November 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Kim Howells |
| Succeeded by | Alex Davies-Jones |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 May 1970 Morecambe, Lancashire, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse |
Elizabeth Wood
(m. 1995) |
| Alma mater | University of Sussex |
Owen Smith (born 2 May 1970) is a British lobbyist and former politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Pontypridd from 2010 to 2019. He belonged to the Labour Party.
Before becoming an MP, Smith worked as a producer for the BBC. He also advised a government minister and worked as a lobbyist for pharmaceutical companies. After leaving Parliament, he returned to working in the pharmaceutical industry.
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Early Life and Education
Owen Smith was born in Morecambe, England, on 2 May 1970. His father, David "Dai" Smith, was a Welsh historian. Owen grew up in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.
He attended Barry Comprehensive School. At 16, he joined the Labour Party. Later, he studied History and French at the University of Sussex.
After university, Smith worked for the BBC for ten years. He produced radio shows like Today and the TV show Dragon's Eye.
He then worked in the pharmaceuticals for five years. He became Head of Policy for Pfizer in 2005. Later, he worked for another company called Amgen.
Political Career
Before Becoming an MP
In 2002, Owen Smith became a special adviser to Paul Murphy. Murphy was the Secretary of State for Wales at the time. Smith later moved with Murphy to the Northern Ireland Office.
In 2006, Smith ran in a special election in Blaenau Gwent. He was still working for Pfizer then. He lost this election to an independent candidate.
Time as a Member of Parliament
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In 2010, Smith was chosen to run for the Pontypridd seat. He won the election, becoming an MP. His win was by a smaller margin than the previous Labour MP.
He joined the Welsh Affairs Select Committee. He also became a Shadow Minister for Wales. In 2012, he was promoted to Shadow Secretary of State for Wales by Ed Miliband.
In 2015, after Jeremy Corbyn became Labour leader, Smith was made Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. He resigned from this role in June 2016. He said he was worried about Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.
On 29 October 2019, Smith announced he would not run for re-election. He said it was an "honour and a privilege" to serve Pontypridd.
2016 Labour Leadership Election
In July 2016, Owen Smith decided to run for leader of the Labour Party. He believed Jeremy Corbyn could not win a general election for Labour. Another MP, Angela Eagle, also wanted to run. She later withdrew, leaving Smith as the only challenger to Corbyn.
Smith launched his campaign on 17 July. He suggested changing a part of the Labour Party's rules. He wanted it to focus more on tackling inequality. He also said he would work closely with Angela Eagle if he won.
On 24 September 2016, Jeremy Corbyn won the leadership election. He received 61.8% of the votes, while Smith got 38.2%.
After the Leadership Election
After the 2017 general election, Jeremy Corbyn appointed Smith as Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. However, Smith was later removed from this role. He had publicly supported a second referendum on the final Brexit deal. This went against Labour's policy at the time.
Life After Parliament
After leaving Parliament in 2019, Owen Smith returned to the pharmaceutical industry. He joined Bristol Myers Squibb as their UK government relations director. In 2024, he was promoted to a senior role in Australia and New Zealand.
Political Views
Smith describes himself as a democratic socialist. This means he believes in achieving socialism within a capitalist society. He looks up to Nye Bevan, a former Minister of Health. He is also a member of Labour Friends of Israel.
Economy and Jobs
Smith was against austerity (government spending cuts). He criticized the government's welfare reforms, calling the "bedroom tax" unfair. He voted against some welfare bills.
He proposed increasing taxes on the highest earners. He also suggested investing £200 million to "rebuild Britain." This would involve building new infrastructure and council housing.
Smith pledged to ban zero-hour contracts if he became Labour leader. He also wanted to end the salary freeze for public sector workers. He proposed bringing back "Wage Councils" to help set fair pay and conditions for workers in certain industries.
European Union
Smith supported the UK staying in the European Union during the 2016 referendum. After the vote to leave, he said he would push for another general election or a second referendum on the final Brexit deal.
In 2019, he voted against the Labour Party's official stance. He supported an amendment for a second public vote on Brexit.
National Health Service (NHS)
Smith proposed a new tax on the richest 1% of society. This tax would help fund the NHS. He said it could raise £3 billion and give the NHS an extra 4% funding each year.
Defence
Smith has said he wants a world without nuclear weapons. He was a "sceptic" of the Trident nuclear programme. However, he voted to renew Trident in 2016, following Labour's long-standing policy.
Regarding military actions, Smith voted for UN-backed air strikes on Libya in 2011. In 2015, he opposed military action in the Syrian civil war. He called for a more diplomatic approach.
Personal Life
Owen Smith is married to Liz, who works as a primary school teacher. They have three children. After he became an MP in 2010, they moved to Llantrisant in Wales. In 2023, his family moved to Melbourne, Australia, for his new job.
See also
In Spanish: Owen Smith para niños
