Tom Smith (British politician) facts for kids

Tom Smith (born April 24, 1886 – died February 27, 1953) was a Labour Party politician from England. A politician is someone who works in government to represent people and make decisions for the country. Tom Smith was a member of the Labour Party, one of the main political groups in the United Kingdom.

Tom Smith's Early Political Career

Tom Smith first became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1922. An MP is a person elected by voters to represent their area in the House of Commons, which is where laws are made. He was elected for the area called Pontefract in West Yorkshire. Before him, this area was represented by a member of the Liberal Party.

Elections and Changes in Parliament

Tom Smith was re-elected as MP for Pontefract in the 1923 election. However, in the 1924 general election, he lost his seat. He was defeated by Christopher Robert Ingham Brooke, who was a candidate from the Conservative Party. Tom Smith lost by 701 votes.

He was elected again in the 1929 general election. But he was defeated once more in the 1931 general election. This shows that elections can be very close, and politicians can win and lose seats.

Returning to the House of Commons

Tom Smith returned to the House of Commons in August 1933. This happened through a special election called a by-election. A by-election takes place when an MP leaves their seat before the next general election. This time, he became the MP for the nearby area of Normanton. He took over after the death of the previous Labour MP, Frederick Hall.

New Role and Leaving Parliament

Tom Smith continued to represent Normanton until 1946. He then decided to leave his role as an MP. This is called resigning his seat. He took on a new job as the Labour Director for the North-Eastern Divisional Coal Board. The Coal Board was an organization that managed coal mines in the UK.

After Tom Smith resigned, another by-election was held in Normanton in 1947. George Sylvester won this election, keeping the seat for the Labour Party.